Lead-in
On October 11th 2003, the Rugby World Cup 2003 started, with a match between Australia, who won the last World Cup tournament in 1999, and Argentina.
How much do you know about the game of rugby?
Complete the quiz.
1. Which of the following is not a way of scoring points in rugby?
a. a drop goal b. a try c. a goal kick d. an own goal
2. Which of the following does not happen during a rugby match?
a. a scrum b. a penalty c. a corner d. a line-out
3. Which of the following is not a player’s position in a rugby team?
a. a forward b. a scrum half c. a striker d. a back
4. Which of the following countries is not playing in the World Cup 2003?
a. Wales b. Germany c. New Zealand d. Tonga
Check your answers in the key.
On October 11th 2003, the Rugby World Cup 2003 started, with a match between Australia, who won the last World Cup tournament in 1999, and Argentina.
How much do you know about the game of rugby?
Complete the quiz.
1. Which of the following is not a way of scoring points in rugby?
a. a drop goal b. a try c. a goal kick d. an own goal
2. Which of the following does not happen during a rugby match?
a. a scrum b. a penalty c. a corner d. a line-out
3. Which of the following is not a player’s position in a rugby team?
a. a forward b. a scrum half c. a striker d. a back
4. Which of the following countries is not playing in the World Cup 2003?
a. Wales b. Germany c. New Zealand d. Tonga
Check your answers in the key.
Reading 1
You are going to read a light-hearted newspaper article about rugby.
Which of the following statements are true and which are false?
1. New Zealand is not a very strong rugby nation.
2. In the past, backs were more cultured and intelligent than forwards.
3. There are two types of rugby.
4. France is a very consistent team.
5. The haka is a type of traditional song and dance.
6. The scrum can be very violent.
7. Tonga does not produce many good rugby players.
8. In the past the Irish team used to kick the ball a lot.
9. Wales used to produce better players than they do now.
10. The Australian team’s nickname is the All Blacks.
Now read the article and check your answers.
You are going to read a light-hearted newspaper article about rugby.
Which of the following statements are true and which are false?
1. New Zealand is not a very strong rugby nation.
2. In the past, backs were more cultured and intelligent than forwards.
3. There are two types of rugby.
4. France is a very consistent team.
5. The haka is a type of traditional song and dance.
6. The scrum can be very violent.
7. Tonga does not produce many good rugby players.
8. In the past the Irish team used to kick the ball a lot.
9. Wales used to produce better players than they do now.
10. The Australian team’s nickname is the All Blacks.
Now read the article and check your answers.
Anyone for rugby?
Stephen Moss offers a brief guide to the game with the funny-shaped ball.
A. is for All Blacks. New Zealand is notable for two things: sheep and having the most fearsome rugby team in the world. Rugby has been played in New Zealand since 1870 and the All Blacks first played arch-rivals Australia 100 years ago. New Zealanders are tough, densely muscled and bear-like - and that s' just the players 'wives (old joke, but the history was getting boring).
B. is for backs. These are the princes of the game - the creative space-exploiters and try-scorers. Traditionally, forwards are very fat and drink huge quantities of beer, and backs are slim, willowy, and probably studied classics at Cambridge University. But times have changed: in the professional era, which began about 10 years ago, everyone has gone fitness crazy, and backs and forwards all now look the same: fit, bronzed, 120kg, with rectangular heads.
C. is for code. There are two rugby "codes" - union and league. The game split in 1895 between the exciting, dynamic 15-man amateur game (rugby union), which by then was spreading all over the world - or at least all over the empire - and the dull, repetitive 13-man professional game (rugby league) which was played in parts of Lancashire and eventually spread to some of the less salubrious areas of Sydney. C is also for cauliflower ears - lumpy, misshapen ears that are an occupational hazard among players who spend a lifetime with their heads between other men's legs in the scrum.
F. is for France and flair - the two words go together as naturally as "England" and "mechanical". France s' superb victory over the All Blacks in the 1999 world cup was the competition's greatest moment, but they went on to lose tamely to Australia in the final. Sad to say, unpredictable genius does not win world cups.
H. is for the haka, the Maori war dance, which the All Blacks use to intimidate their opponents before the match. The haka involves all 15 players standing in a line and jumping up and down while they sing a song to the sun god (rather odd as rugby is a winter game and usually played in heavy rain).
P. is for penalties, the scourge of rugby. There are too many of them, and because they are worth a generous three points (compared with five for a try and two for converting it), the scoring system is distorted. A team with a very good kicker can beat a much better team that relies on try scoring.
S. is for scrum. This is the shortened form of "scrummage", derived from scrimmage, meaning organised scrap. Sixteen men, eight on each side (all the forwards, basically), bend down in an interlocking formation and fight over the ball, which is placed between their legs in the centre of the scrum by the scrum-half. The scrum is essentially a boxing match without rules: it is home to punching, gouging and testicle twisting.
T. is for Tonga, which, despite having a population of only 100,000, dispersed across 169 islands, would have a very strong team if their best players didn t' play for other countries. Tonga have their own haka, called the "sipi tau", which is even more terrifying than the All Black version.
U. is for up and under, a desperate tactic that involves kicking the ball downfield and charging after it. This used to be Ireland s' sole method of attack.
V. is for the Valleys of South Wales, which once produced marvelous rugby players but have now become besotted with football.
W. is for Wallabies, nickname for two-time world champions Australia. They've been playing like dingoes this year and have no chance of winning again.
Reading 2
Read the passage again and answer the questions. Discuss them with a partner.
1. Why has the build of rugby players changed?
2. What are the differences between rugby league and rugby union?
3. What are cauliflower ears?
4. Why didn’t France win the 1999 World Cup?
5. What is the problem with penalties?
6. What problem does Tonga have when selecting players?
7. What is the problem with rugby in Wales?
Vocabulary in context
Match the words below to their definition.
flair frightening in appearance
scourge chief competitors
besotted boring
distorted twisted into the wrong shape (2 answers)
fearsome stylish ability
arch-rivals sun-tanned
willowy totally obsessed
bronzed worst thing
dull very slim and athletic
misshapen
Find the words below in the passage. What are they describing?
e.g. flair = France
scourge = penalties
Follow-up
Think of a sport that is popular in your country, which people from abroad might not know much about. Answer these questions.
1. What is the name of the sport?
2. How do you play it?
3. How do you score?
4. What other countries play it?
5. Do you like the sport? If so, why?
Talk to your partner.
Stephen Moss offers a brief guide to the game with the funny-shaped ball.
A. is for All Blacks. New Zealand is notable for two things: sheep and having the most fearsome rugby team in the world. Rugby has been played in New Zealand since 1870 and the All Blacks first played arch-rivals Australia 100 years ago. New Zealanders are tough, densely muscled and bear-like - and that s' just the players 'wives (old joke, but the history was getting boring).
B. is for backs. These are the princes of the game - the creative space-exploiters and try-scorers. Traditionally, forwards are very fat and drink huge quantities of beer, and backs are slim, willowy, and probably studied classics at Cambridge University. But times have changed: in the professional era, which began about 10 years ago, everyone has gone fitness crazy, and backs and forwards all now look the same: fit, bronzed, 120kg, with rectangular heads.
C. is for code. There are two rugby "codes" - union and league. The game split in 1895 between the exciting, dynamic 15-man amateur game (rugby union), which by then was spreading all over the world - or at least all over the empire - and the dull, repetitive 13-man professional game (rugby league) which was played in parts of Lancashire and eventually spread to some of the less salubrious areas of Sydney. C is also for cauliflower ears - lumpy, misshapen ears that are an occupational hazard among players who spend a lifetime with their heads between other men's legs in the scrum.
F. is for France and flair - the two words go together as naturally as "England" and "mechanical". France s' superb victory over the All Blacks in the 1999 world cup was the competition's greatest moment, but they went on to lose tamely to Australia in the final. Sad to say, unpredictable genius does not win world cups.
H. is for the haka, the Maori war dance, which the All Blacks use to intimidate their opponents before the match. The haka involves all 15 players standing in a line and jumping up and down while they sing a song to the sun god (rather odd as rugby is a winter game and usually played in heavy rain).
P. is for penalties, the scourge of rugby. There are too many of them, and because they are worth a generous three points (compared with five for a try and two for converting it), the scoring system is distorted. A team with a very good kicker can beat a much better team that relies on try scoring.
S. is for scrum. This is the shortened form of "scrummage", derived from scrimmage, meaning organised scrap. Sixteen men, eight on each side (all the forwards, basically), bend down in an interlocking formation and fight over the ball, which is placed between their legs in the centre of the scrum by the scrum-half. The scrum is essentially a boxing match without rules: it is home to punching, gouging and testicle twisting.
T. is for Tonga, which, despite having a population of only 100,000, dispersed across 169 islands, would have a very strong team if their best players didn t' play for other countries. Tonga have their own haka, called the "sipi tau", which is even more terrifying than the All Black version.
U. is for up and under, a desperate tactic that involves kicking the ball downfield and charging after it. This used to be Ireland s' sole method of attack.
V. is for the Valleys of South Wales, which once produced marvelous rugby players but have now become besotted with football.
W. is for Wallabies, nickname for two-time world champions Australia. They've been playing like dingoes this year and have no chance of winning again.
Reading 2
Read the passage again and answer the questions. Discuss them with a partner.
1. Why has the build of rugby players changed?
2. What are the differences between rugby league and rugby union?
3. What are cauliflower ears?
4. Why didn’t France win the 1999 World Cup?
5. What is the problem with penalties?
6. What problem does Tonga have when selecting players?
7. What is the problem with rugby in Wales?
Vocabulary in context
Match the words below to their definition.
flair frightening in appearance
scourge chief competitors
besotted boring
distorted twisted into the wrong shape (2 answers)
fearsome stylish ability
arch-rivals sun-tanned
willowy totally obsessed
bronzed worst thing
dull very slim and athletic
misshapen
Find the words below in the passage. What are they describing?
e.g. flair = France
scourge = penalties
Follow-up
Think of a sport that is popular in your country, which people from abroad might not know much about. Answer these questions.
1. What is the name of the sport?
2. How do you play it?
3. How do you score?
4. What other countries play it?
5. Do you like the sport? If so, why?
Talk to your partner.
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