1. Rugby

2. Rugby is a type of football. It is played with an oval ball and players can both kick or run with it. There are two types of rugby: in Rugby Union there are teams of 15 players, who are amateurs, and it is played by England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland (a joint team from both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland), France, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.

3. There are regular matches between these countries. In Rugby League there are 13 players in a team, the players are all professionals and it is mostly played in the north of England and Australia.

4. The best rugby teams compete in the Super League final each September.

5. For many years Rugby was only played by the rich upper classes, but now it is popular all over the country.

6. England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland, together with France and Italy, play in an annual tournament called the Six Nations. A rugby player Ryan Johns

7. Rugby is the national game of many countries.