Rugby tens
Encyclopedia
Rugby tens, also known as ten-a-side and Xs, is a variant of rugby union
in which teams are made up of ten players, typically five forwards and five backs. Matches are much shorter, often of two ten-minute halves. Unlike rugby sevens
, the IRB
has not published a version of the laws for tens.
The game is fairly popular in Malaysia, Indonesia
, Singapore
, and Thailand
, and is growing elsewhere.
Unlike the other two major rugby union variants - sevens and beach rugby
- which were invented in major rugby nations, rugby tens was developed in Malaysia, a Tier-3 rugby playing nation that has never qualified for the Rugby World Cup
.
Major rugby tens tournaments include the COBRA Rugby Tens
(since 1967) and the Hong Kong Football Club
Tens (since 1986). Other regular tournaments include the Cape Town Tens, first held in 2009.
which originated in the Scottish Borders
, and was very successfully exported to produce the Hong Kong Sevens
, where it still runs, and is a great missionary force for rugby in Asia. There is also a Singapore Sevens tournament in the region.
Unlike rugby sevens, which has established a substantial presence on every continent, tens is still largely confined to its region of origin, South East Asia, although tournaments have been organised in Europe, Africa, Australasia and North America.
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
in which teams are made up of ten players, typically five forwards and five backs. Matches are much shorter, often of two ten-minute halves. Unlike rugby sevens
Rugby sevens
Rugby sevens, also known as seven-a-side or VIIs, is a variant of rugby union in which teams are made up of seven players, instead of the usual 15, with shorter matches. Rugby sevens is administered by the International Rugby Board , the body responsible for rugby union worldwide...
, the IRB
International Rugby Board
The International Rugby Board is the governing body for the sport of rugby union. It was founded in 1886 as the International Rugby Football Board by the unions of Scotland, Wales and Ireland. England refused to join until 1890. The International Rugby Football Board changed its name to the...
has not published a version of the laws for tens.
The game is fairly popular in Malaysia, Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
, Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, and Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
, and is growing elsewhere.
Unlike the other two major rugby union variants - sevens and beach rugby
Beach Rugby
Beach rugby is a sport that can be based on either of the rugby football codes, league or union. There is no centralized regulation of the sport as in beach soccer or beach volleyball, but leagues are common across Europe, and the sport is particularly popular in Italy...
- which were invented in major rugby nations, rugby tens was developed in Malaysia, a Tier-3 rugby playing nation that has never qualified for the Rugby World Cup
Rugby World Cup
The Rugby World Cup is an international rugby union competition organised by the International Rugby Board and held every four years since 1987....
.
Major rugby tens tournaments include the COBRA Rugby Tens
COBRA Rugby Tens
COBRA 10s is the world’s premier rugby tens tournament which is organized annually by the COBRA Rugby Club of Malaysia.The first COBRA 10s tournament was held in Malaysia in 1967...
(since 1967) and the Hong Kong Football Club
Hong Kong Football Club
The Soccer Section of Hong Kong Football Club has few teams. The First Team is competitng in Hong Kong Second Division League.-History:...
Tens (since 1986). Other regular tournaments include the Cape Town Tens, first held in 2009.
Influence of rugby sevens
The main origin of rugby tens is perhaps the abbreviated code of rugby sevensRugby sevens
Rugby sevens, also known as seven-a-side or VIIs, is a variant of rugby union in which teams are made up of seven players, instead of the usual 15, with shorter matches. Rugby sevens is administered by the International Rugby Board , the body responsible for rugby union worldwide...
which originated in the Scottish Borders
Scottish Borders
The Scottish Borders is one of 32 local government council areas of Scotland. It is bordered by Dumfries and Galloway in the west, South Lanarkshire and West Lothian in the north west, City of Edinburgh, East Lothian, Midlothian to the north; and the non-metropolitan counties of Northumberland...
, and was very successfully exported to produce the Hong Kong Sevens
Hong Kong Sevens
The Hong Kong Sevens is considered the premier tournament on the IRB Sevens World Series in rugby sevens—a variant of rugby union....
, where it still runs, and is a great missionary force for rugby in Asia. There is also a Singapore Sevens tournament in the region.
Unlike rugby sevens, which has established a substantial presence on every continent, tens is still largely confined to its region of origin, South East Asia, although tournaments have been organised in Europe, Africa, Australasia and North America.
See also
- American Flag RugbyAmerican Flag RugbyAmerican flag rugby is a mixed-gender, non-contact imitation of rugby union designed for American children entering grades K–9. The organization itself exists to provide free start up kits and support to any community looking to add a youth rugby program to their community...
- Beach rugbyBeach RugbyBeach rugby is a sport that can be based on either of the rugby football codes, league or union. There is no centralized regulation of the sport as in beach soccer or beach volleyball, but leagues are common across Europe, and the sport is particularly popular in Italy...
- Rugby league ninesRugby league ninesRugby league nines is a version of rugby league football played with nine players on each side. The game is substantially the same as full rugby league, with some differences in rules and shorter games. Nines is usually played in festivals, as its shorter game play allows for a tournament to be...
- Seven-a-side football
- 9-a-side footy9-a-side FootyNine-a-side footy is a sport based on Australian rules football played informally by Aussie Rules clubs but not yet an official sport in its own right....
External links
- COBRA Tens
- Hong Kong Tens
- Vientiane Tens
- Cape Town Tens
- Bangkok Tens
- Heineken High King Tens (NavanNavan-People:Navan was the childhood home of Pierce Brosnan, who appeared in the television series Remington Steele and was the fifth film actor to play James Bond. TV personality Hector Ó hEochagáin, and comedians Dylan Moran and Tommy Tiernan also hail from Navan....
, IrelandIrelandIreland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
) - Phuket Rugby 10s
- Bondi Tens
- Stockholm 10s
- Landshark 10s (Flagstaff, ArizonaFlagstaff, ArizonaFlagstaff is a city located in northern Arizona, in the southwestern United States. In 2010, the city's population was 65,870. The population of the Metropolitan Statistical Area was at 134,421 in 2010. It is the county seat of Coconino County...
) - Helsinki 10s
- Manila Tens