Rugby and Footy are nothing but football game which is played in different countries with different methods or concepts. Rules and regulations look similar.
But when you entered playing, both are totally different games. Footy becomes popular over rugby.
Key Takeaways
- Rugby is played with an oval-shaped ball and involves more physical contact than Footy (Australian Rules Football).
- Footy is played on a larger field with 18 players per team, while Rugby has 15 players per team in Union or 13 players per team in League.
- Rugby uses a scoring system of tries, conversions, penalties, and drop goals, while Footy scores with goals and behinds.
Rugby vs Footy
The difference between rugby and footy is the length of the field size. The length of rugby ground football is a hundred meters, whereas the length of footy ground is hundred thirty-five to hundred eighty-five meters. They both have a different bodies. The highest governing body for rugby is World rugby, whereas the highest governing body for footy is the AFL commission.
The Full form of Rugby is Rugby Union. Rugby is a close contact sport which is originated in England.
Rugby, Rugger, Rugby Football, Rugby XV Union are the nicknames of Rugby. Rugby sport is first introduced in the 19th century.
Rugby is a common sport between two teams of fifteen members. Running with an oval-shaped ball is called Rugby sport.
The rugby game happens in a rectangular field which is called pitch. In two ends of the Rugby pitch, have H-shaped goal spots.
Footy is nothing but Australian rules football. The other names are Australian football or Aussie rules.
Like Rugby, Footy is also a contact sport with eighteen members in a team. The field of the footy is oval with an oval-shaped ball they play the sport on open ground.
The field of the footy is a modified cricket ground. The scoring system in footy is different from rugby.
You need to kick the ball to the central goal post which gives you six points, whereas in central or outer goal post gives you one point.
Comparison Table
| Parameters of comparison | Rugby | Footy |
|---|---|---|
| Number of players | Rugby has 15 players | Footy has 18 players |
| Substitutions | Rugby has 7 substitutions | Footy has 3 substitutions |
| Game divisions | Rugby has two halves | Footy has four quarters |
| Game length | Rugby has 40 minutes for each half | Footy has 20 minutes for each quarter |
| Played country | Rugby played worldwide | Footy played in Australia |
What is Rugby?
Rugby is a popular sport introduced in the 19th century in England. It is a sport focusing on running rather than kicking.
The Rugby game has many nicknames. Rugby Union is the popular short form of Rugby around the world.
Rugby is a sport played by both males and females. International Rugby Football Board(IRFB) and International Rigby Board(IRB) are previously called World Rugby. They are the governing bodies of the sport since 1886.
This association has 101 countries as full members and 18 countries with associate members.
Rugby sport has around six lakh sixty thousand registered players worldwide. The requirements for playing Rugby are Rugby ball, Scrum cap (optional), Rugby boots, and Mouth guard (optional).
Rugby is the most popular game in European countries. They are added in Olympic games from 1996.
The first rules and regulations for Rugby sport are written in 1845 by pupils at Rugby school. There is a split of Rugby games in the early days.
They are Rugby Union and Rugby League. Rugby Union is an amateur sport, later it gained popularity after formal restrictions are removed and made the sport into a professional manner.
Great Britain and Ireland are the home Nations of the Rugby Union. Later it spread to Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and France.
The expansion of the British Empire leads to the extension of the Rugby sport. French proponents are also the reason for the expansion of Rugby sport. Countries like Fiji, New Zealand, Wales, Georgia, and Madagascar are adopted Rugby as their national sport.
What is Footy?
Footy is a popular sport. The other names of footy are Australian rules football and Assie rules.
Footy is primarily played in Australia. Unlike Rugby, Footy is a sport where the players concentrate on kicking the ball. The players can use any part of their bodies for kicking the ball.
Footy uses an oval-shaped field and it is introduced in 1859 in Australia. Around fourteen lakh and four thousand registered players of footy are present worldwide.
Only football is the primary equipment or requirement of the footy sport.
In footy sport, there are many rules and regulations for handling the ball. After 15m of running, the player must bounce the ball is an important restriction in footy sport.
In footy, you are not allowed to throw the ball. The person who catches the kick will be rewarded. Penalities are given to the players who are involved in unwanted physical contact and interference in marking.
Australian football is the world’s oldest record of football codes and it is written in 1859. Maximum attendance and television viewers are available for the footy, which is the greatest advantage of the footy sport.
Footy is also added to the Olympic games. Footy is played as an amateur sport in many countries.
AFL commission is the governing body of the footy which regulated the rules.
Main Differences Between Rugby and Footy
- Rugby was first played in the 19th century in the United Kingdom, whereas Footy was first played in 1859 in Australia.
- When compared to Rugby balls, footy balls are smoother with less grip.
- The Rugby balls have no stitches marks, whereas footy balls have stitches marks, which are shown prominently.
- In rugby games, the players focus on running, whereas in the footy game, the players focus on kicking.
- Rugby players are free to run with their balls, whereas footy players need to bounce the ball after every 15m run.
- https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.5153/sro.4044
- https://www.cabdirect.org/cabdirect/abstract/20083162342
Last Updated : 13 July, 2023
I’ve put so much effort writing this blog post to provide value to you. It’ll be very helpful for me, if you consider sharing it on social media or with your friends/family. SHARING IS ♥️
Emma Smith holds an MA degree in English from Irvine Valley College. She has been a Journalist since 2002, writing articles on the English language, Sports, and Law. Read more about me on her bio page.
