April 2, 2009

The Navy Men's Rugby Team will play host to Army on Saturday, April 4 at 6 p.m. at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. Tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for youth under 18. Midshipmen and Cadets will be admitted free. There is also a $5 charge for parking at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.

To help fans learn more about the sport, navysports.com will be running rugby facts of the day this week leading up to Saturday's game.

Rugby owes much of its appeal to the fact that it is played both to the letter and within the spirit of the rules. The responsibility for ensuring this practice lies not with one individual -- it involves coaches, captains, players and referees. It is through discipline, control and mutual respect that the spirit of the game flourishes and, in the context of a game as physically challenging as Rugby, these are the qualities which forge the fellowship and sense of fair play so essential to the game's
ongoing success and survival.  Rugby is valued as a sport for men and women, boys and girls. It builds teamwork, understanding, co-operation and respect for fellow athletes. It is because of, not despite, rugby's intensely physical and athletic characteristics that such great camaraderie exists before and after matches.

Rugby is played on a field, called a pitch, which is longer and wider than a football field, more like a soccer field. Additionally, there are 10-22 meter end zones, called the in-goal area, behind the goalposts. The goalposts are the same size as American football goalposts.