Rugby Quiz
Webb Ellis, the haka, Wilkinson's drop goal and Lomu's four tries: 15 questions on rugby union and league.
How many players does each team have on the pitch in rugby union?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
15
A rugby union side has fifteen players: eight forwards who form the scrum and seven backs. Each team can also use up to eight replacements during a match.
Shirt numbers in union follow the position, so the hooker always wears 2 and the full-back always wears 15.
Which pre-match challenge do New Zealand's All Blacks perform before internationals?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
The haka
The All Blacks have performed a haka, a Māori ceremonial challenge, before matches since the 1880s. The best known version is Ka Mate, with Kapa o Pango added in 2005.
Samoa perform the siva tau, Fiji the cibi and Tonga the sipi tau, so Pacific Island matches can feature two challenges at once.
How many points is a try worth in rugby union?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
5
A try scores five points in union and is followed by a conversion kick worth two more. A penalty goal or drop goal is worth three points.
A try was worth four points until 1992, when World Rugby raised it to five to encourage attacking play.
Which country's national rugby union team is nicknamed the Wallabies?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Australia
Australia's men's team has been known as the Wallabies since a 1908 tour of Britain, and the side won the World Cup in 1991 and 1999.
South Africa are the Springboks, Argentina are the Pumas and Fiji are nicknamed the Flying Fijians.
What is the Rugby World Cup trophy called?
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The Webb Ellis Cup
The trophy is named after William Webb Ellis, the Rugby School pupil credited in legend with picking up the ball and running during a football match in 1823.
The Cook Cup is played for by England and Australia, the Freedom Cup by New Zealand and South Africa, and the Hopetoun Cup by Australia and Scotland.
Which nation joined the Five Nations in 2000 to make it the Six Nations?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Italy
Italy were added in 2000 alongside England, France, Ireland, Scotland and Wales, and the tournament has been the Six Nations ever since. Italy recorded their first win on debut, beating Scotland in Rome.
A team that loses every match in the tournament is said to have taken the Wooden Spoon, an informal title nobody wants.
Which country won the first Rugby World Cup in 1987?
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New Zealand
New Zealand beat France 29 to 9 in the inaugural final at Eden Park in Auckland, with captain David Kirk lifting the trophy. The 1987 tournament was co-hosted by New Zealand and Australia.
New Zealand did not win the World Cup again until 2011, when they beat France once more in a final at Eden Park.
How many players does each team have on the pitch in rugby league?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
13
Rugby league is played thirteen a side, with six forwards and seven backs, after the sport split from union in 1895 and simplified its rules.
League also uses a six-tackle rule, after which possession is handed to the other side, which keeps the game fast and open.
Who kicked the extra-time drop goal that won the 2003 World Cup final for England?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Jonny Wilkinson
Jonny Wilkinson struck a right-footed drop goal with 26 seconds of extra time left to beat Australia 20 to 17 in Sydney, giving England their only World Cup title.
Wilkinson usually kicked with his left foot, which made the decisive right-footed effort even more memorable.
Which country won the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
South Africa
South Africa beat New Zealand 12 to 11 at the Stade de France, with all their points coming from four Handré Pollard penalties, to become the first nation with four World Cup titles.
New Zealand captain Sam Cane became the first player sent off in a World Cup final after a high tackle in the first half.
The Calcutta Cup is contested every year between England and which other nation?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Scotland
The Calcutta Cup has been played for by England and Scotland since 1879 and is now decided by their annual Six Nations match, making it the oldest trophy in international rugby.
The trophy was made from melted-down silver rupees when the Calcutta Football Club disbanded in 1878 and donated the money.
Which position wears the number 10 shirt in rugby union?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Fly-half
The fly-half wears 10 and acts as the team's playmaker, taking the ball from the scrum-half and deciding whether to kick, pass or run. Most teams also hand the fly-half the goal kicking.
The position is called the stand-off in rugby league and the outside-half in Wales, but the number 10 is the same.
Which trophy do New Zealand and Australia contest in their annual rugby series?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
The Bledisloe Cup
The Bledisloe Cup was donated by Lord Bledisloe, Governor-General of New Zealand, and has been contested since 1931. New Zealand held it continuously from 2003 to 2025.
The Mandela Challenge Plate goes to the winner of Australia against South Africa, and the Lansdowne Cup to Australia against Ireland.
Which winger scored four tries against England in the 1995 World Cup semi-final?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Jonah Lomu
Jonah Lomu, a 20-year-old weighing nearly 120 kg (265 lb), ran through and over England's defence in Cape Town, memorably trampling Mike Catt on the way to his first try.
Lomu scored 15 World Cup tries across the 1995 and 1999 tournaments, a record later equalled by Bryan Habana.
Which country won the first Olympic men's rugby sevens gold medal in 2016?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Fiji
Fiji beat Great Britain 43 to 7 in the Rio final to win rugby sevens gold, the first Olympic medal of any colour in the country's history.
Fiji declared a public holiday to celebrate, and the team retained the title at the Tokyo Games in 2021.
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All Sports quizzes →About the Rugby Quiz
Rugby union and rugby league share a name and a shape of ball but not much else. Union plays fifteen a side, league thirteen, and both award different points for a try. The World Cup trophy is named after William Webb Ellis, the schoolboy said to have picked up the ball and run in 1823, and South Africa lifted it for a record fourth time in 2023.
These 15 questions begin with the rules and nicknames, then cover the Six Nations, the Calcutta and Bledisloe Cups, and famous moments such as Jonny Wilkinson's drop goal and Jonah Lomu's four tries against England. It suits anyone who watches the big internationals and fans who want a few harder posers.
You will find 15 multiple choice questions here, each with four options. Difficulty: Medium. Most people finish in about 6 minutes, and every answer comes with a short explanation and one extra fact worth keeping.
How to play
Read the question and pick one of the four answers. The correct answer is revealed straight away with a short explanation, then press Next question to keep going. At the end you get your score out of 15 and a full review of your round. Play again any time and the questions arrive in a fresh order. There is no timer and no account.
Good to know before you play
Does the Rugby Quiz include rugby league?
Mostly it covers rugby union, but there is a league question too, so you need to know how the codes differ.
Which competitions are covered in the Rugby Quiz?
The Rugby World Cup, the Six Nations, the Calcutta Cup, the Bledisloe Cup and Olympic rugby sevens all feature.
How many questions are there and how hard are they?
There are 15 questions rated Medium overall, starting easy with rules and nicknames and ending with questions for seasoned fans.
Answer key: all 15 questions with explanations
- How many players does each team have on the pitch in rugby union?
15 A rugby union side has fifteen players: eight forwards who form the scrum and seven backs. Each team can also use up to eight replacements during a match. Shirt numbers in union follow the position, so the hooker always wears 2 and the full-back always wears 15. - Which pre-match challenge do New Zealand's All Blacks perform before internationals?
The haka The All Blacks have performed a haka, a Māori ceremonial challenge, before matches since the 1880s. The best known version is Ka Mate, with Kapa o Pango added in 2005. Samoa perform the siva tau, Fiji the cibi and Tonga the sipi tau, so Pacific Island matches can feature two challenges at once. - How many points is a try worth in rugby union?
5 A try scores five points in union and is followed by a conversion kick worth two more. A penalty goal or drop goal is worth three points. A try was worth four points until 1992, when World Rugby raised it to five to encourage attacking play. - Which country's national rugby union team is nicknamed the Wallabies?
Australia Australia's men's team has been known as the Wallabies since a 1908 tour of Britain, and the side won the World Cup in 1991 and 1999. South Africa are the Springboks, Argentina are the Pumas and Fiji are nicknamed the Flying Fijians. - What is the Rugby World Cup trophy called?
The Webb Ellis Cup The trophy is named after William Webb Ellis, the Rugby School pupil credited in legend with picking up the ball and running during a football match in 1823. The Cook Cup is played for by England and Australia, the Freedom Cup by New Zealand and South Africa, and the Hopetoun Cup by Australia and Scotland. - Which nation joined the Five Nations in 2000 to make it the Six Nations?
Italy Italy were added in 2000 alongside England, France, Ireland, Scotland and Wales, and the tournament has been the Six Nations ever since. Italy recorded their first win on debut, beating Scotland in Rome. A team that loses every match in the tournament is said to have taken the Wooden Spoon, an informal title nobody wants. - Which country won the first Rugby World Cup in 1987?
New Zealand New Zealand beat France 29 to 9 in the inaugural final at Eden Park in Auckland, with captain David Kirk lifting the trophy. The 1987 tournament was co-hosted by New Zealand and Australia. New Zealand did not win the World Cup again until 2011, when they beat France once more in a final at Eden Park. - How many players does each team have on the pitch in rugby league?
13 Rugby league is played thirteen a side, with six forwards and seven backs, after the sport split from union in 1895 and simplified its rules. League also uses a six-tackle rule, after which possession is handed to the other side, which keeps the game fast and open. - Who kicked the extra-time drop goal that won the 2003 World Cup final for England?
Jonny Wilkinson Jonny Wilkinson struck a right-footed drop goal with 26 seconds of extra time left to beat Australia 20 to 17 in Sydney, giving England their only World Cup title. Wilkinson usually kicked with his left foot, which made the decisive right-footed effort even more memorable. - Which country won the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France?
South Africa South Africa beat New Zealand 12 to 11 at the Stade de France, with all their points coming from four Handré Pollard penalties, to become the first nation with four World Cup titles. New Zealand captain Sam Cane became the first player sent off in a World Cup final after a high tackle in the first half. - The Calcutta Cup is contested every year between England and which other nation?
Scotland The Calcutta Cup has been played for by England and Scotland since 1879 and is now decided by their annual Six Nations match, making it the oldest trophy in international rugby. The trophy was made from melted-down silver rupees when the Calcutta Football Club disbanded in 1878 and donated the money. - Which position wears the number 10 shirt in rugby union?
Fly-half The fly-half wears 10 and acts as the team's playmaker, taking the ball from the scrum-half and deciding whether to kick, pass or run. Most teams also hand the fly-half the goal kicking. The position is called the stand-off in rugby league and the outside-half in Wales, but the number 10 is the same. - Which trophy do New Zealand and Australia contest in their annual rugby series?
The Bledisloe Cup The Bledisloe Cup was donated by Lord Bledisloe, Governor-General of New Zealand, and has been contested since 1931. New Zealand held it continuously from 2003 to 2025. The Mandela Challenge Plate goes to the winner of Australia against South Africa, and the Lansdowne Cup to Australia against Ireland. - Which winger scored four tries against England in the 1995 World Cup semi-final?
Jonah Lomu Jonah Lomu, a 20-year-old weighing nearly 120 kg (265 lb), ran through and over England's defence in Cape Town, memorably trampling Mike Catt on the way to his first try. Lomu scored 15 World Cup tries across the 1995 and 1999 tournaments, a record later equalled by Bryan Habana. - Which country won the first Olympic men's rugby sevens gold medal in 2016?
Fiji Fiji beat Great Britain 43 to 7 in the Rio final to win rugby sevens gold, the first Olympic medal of any colour in the country's history. Fiji declared a public holiday to celebrate, and the team retained the title at the Tokyo Games in 2021.
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