 | |
| Highestgoverning body | World Rugby |
|---|---|
| Nicknames | Tens, Ten-a-side, 10's or 10s and Xs. |
| Characteristics | |
| Contact | Full Contact |
| Team members | Ten |
| Mixed-sex | Separate competitions |
| Type | Team sport, outdoor, variant ofrugby union |
Rugby tens, also known asten-a-side andXs, is a variant ofrugby union in which teams are made up of ten players, typically fiveforwards and fivebacks. Matches are much shorter, usually played as two ten-minute halves.
Unlike the other two major rugby union variants - sevens andbeach rugby - which were invented in major rugby nations, rugby tens was developed in Malaysia, a nation that has never qualified for theRugby World Cup.[1]
The rules (law variations) are similar torugby sevens and are published on theWorld Rugby website.[2]
Rugby tens was introduced by the Combined Old Boys Rugby Association (COBRA) of Malaysia in 1967 primarily, to enable Asian players to better compete with against larger-sized players from the traditional rugby playing nations. COBRA organized the first Rugby ten-a-side, tournament, COBRA 10s, that same year. It has grown from a local tournament into a prestigious international tournament, with more than 40 nations have been represented to date. Many players who have participated in the COBRA 10s have gone on to don national colours.
The game is fairly popular inMalaysia,Indonesia,Singapore,Republic of Korea andThailand, and especially in South Africa where it is growing very fast. Other tournaments have been organised in Europe, Africa, Australasia and North America.[3]
A rugby tens match has two halves of 10 minutes each, though the tournament organiser may change this rule. The scrum has five players, instead of eight as in rugby XV or three as in rugby sevens.
Unlike sevens rugby, tens offer players of diverse skills, capabilities and different fitness levels the opportunity to continue to enjoy the game they love so much. The more traditional scrums and lineouts are part of the game whilst the fact that there is a bit more space on the field, however not too much as to expose the slower forwards on the defensive lines, makes this a very popular game for all levels of players.
Major rugby tens tournaments include:
The popular Cape Town Tens attracts teams from all over the world to South Africa during the first week of February each year.[7]
| Rugby union |
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| Rugby league |
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