Rugby
Rugby 7s vs Rugby 15s: what are the differences?
Discover the fundamental differences between 7-a-side rugby and 15-a-side rugby. What are the tactics, the rules and their impact on matches?
History of 7-a-side and 15-a-side rugby
Rugby is a team sport that originated in England in the 19th century. Its best-known form is 15-a-side rugby, but there is another form that is gradually beginning to make a name for itself. We'll explain.
First of all, 7-a-side rugby has its roots in Scotland. It spread in the second half of the 20th century to the heart of the Anglo-Saxon countries that were part of the Commonwealth. The sport originated with Ned Haig and David Sanderson, two butchers from Melrose, Scotland, who organised the first tournament of its kind in 1883. They innovated by shortening the matches to 15 minutes and reducing the size of the teams from 15 to just 7 players.
The first official international tournament was held in 1973, won by England.
01
The rules of the game
Playing time:
Rugby 7s is played over 2 halves of 7 minutes each. In the finals, each half lasts 10 minutes.
There is no additional time, as the game clock is stopped by the referee at each stoppage in play, when there are injuries or other reasons. Similar to 15-a-side rugby, the referee waits until the end of the last play to whistle the end of the match, when the ball goes out of bounds or when a foul is committed. If the teams fail to settle the tie after 14 minutes of play, extra time of 2 x 5 minutes (without a half-time break) is played. The match stops as soon as one team scores a single point with the "golden goal" rule.
Technical questions:
- As the name suggests, there are 7 players on the pitch (3 forwards, a scrum-half and 3 three-quarters), each with a specific role. So there is a left prop, a hooker, a right prop, a scrum half, a left winger, a right winger and a full back.
- The scrum is made up of 3 forwards from each team holding each other by the shoulders. As in 15-a-side rugby, the aim is to pass the ball behind you to your scrum-half and start an attack.
- At least two players from each team are required to touch down.
- As in 15-a-side rugby, tries are converted.
- The conversion takes the form of a drop-goal, and not with the ball on the ground. Penalties are also kicked as drops.
Differences from 15-a-side rugby:
- Given that a match lasts only a short time, during competitions such as the World Cup, it is possible to play several matches in a row on the same day. So a competition that lasts 1 month in 15-a-side rugby only lasts a short week here.
- Exclusions have also been affected, with a yellow card leading to a temporary exclusion of 2 minutes, a far cry from the 10 minutes of a normal match.
- Unlike 15-a-side rugby, the team that has scored a point takes the kick-off.
- 5 substitutions are possible during the match, unlike the 7 in 15-a-side rugby.
The 15 of the Rose regain their strength
© Red Bull
02
Competition structure
Rugby 7-a-side: not easy to organise
The Rugby 7s World Cup made its debut in 1993 under the name Melrose Cup. The competition is dominated by the All-Blacks with 3 titles. It is contested every 4 years.
There is also an annual tournament called the Men's Rugby Sevens World Series. This is a world circuit made up of several stages, tournaments played over a weekend. At the end of the season, the tournament consists of 2 group stages followed by a play-off to determine the winner of the season.
France is currently 5th in the rankings and will be taking part in the finals in Madrid in June, having won three podium places in a row. They won the final in Los Angeles in March.
15-a-side rugby, much more developed
15-a-side rugby is much more developed than its younger sibling, with a World Cup dating back to 1987. Much more competitive, it saw New Zealand battle it out with South Africa for 3 titles each. Apart from the World Cup, there are two other major tournaments: the 6 Nations Tournament, which brings together 6 European teams.
Since the addition of Italy in 2000, these have included England, Ireland, Wales, Scotland and France. The tournament, founded in 1882, was the first in history to pit national teams against each other. On the other side of the globe, The Rugby Championship, formerly known as the Tri-Nations, is a tournament pitting the best teams from the southern hemisphere against each other (New Zealand, Australia, South Africa and, more recently, Argentina in 2012).
03
Accessibility and inclusion
Development of women's rugby
Women's rugby was created in the early 1990s with the advent of the World Cup (although the sport has been played by women since the turn of the century, particularly in England). Unfortunately, it was not until 1998 that the world competition was officially recognised by the institutions.
Following this event, the federations set up national competitions, as well as a system of tournaments similar to that for men (the 6 Nations tournament, The Rugby Championship). This desire to include women's rugby is very positive, and the federations are also allowing national championships to be set up with the women's sections of Top 14 clubs.
The public's enthusiasm for women's rugby is growing: the record number of spectators for a women's rugby match in France was reached on 26 April 2024, with 28,023 fans attending the France-England match during the 6 Nations Tournament in Bordeaux. The world record is 58,498 at Twickenham in April 2023, also during the Crunch. Gaëlle Mignot, head coach and trainer of the French women's team, is delighted with the response, which bodes well for the Women's World Cup in 2025: "This is an important event, and we hope that we can continue to fill stadiums and help women's rugby grow.
Women's rugby on the rise
© Red Bull
Rugby 7s as a springboard for rugby 15s
Rugby 7s is a discipline in its own right. The rules have certain peculiarities, and physically it's hardly comparable. However, the bridge between 7-a-side rugby and 15-a-side rugby does exist. In recent years, a large number of rugby players have boosted their careers by switching to 7-a-side rugby.
Its contribution is indisputable and can no longer be overlooked. Rugby 7s brings with it a different vision of the game that is beneficial for 15-a-side rugby, and clubs and players know this. With this in mind, French star Antoine Dupont decided to take part in rugby 7s tournaments, in addition to the matches he plays with his club and France 7s. And it's paid off, as he won the Los Angeles leg with the France 7s.