A Brown-Leathered Heart

Answer 1

The heart of Rugby is not a light pink whimsical silhouette with a Cupid creeping from behind its glistening sheen; the heart of rugby is a brown leather elliptical ball. The rugby ball is the heart of the game.

Rugby balls come in two categories: rugby league and rugby union. Rugby league uses a prolate spheroid football, while rugby union uses a prolate spheroid ellipsis-shaped ball. The former bounces more erratically and is less designed for drop-kicks than its shapelier counterpart. A rugby league ball is approximately 27cm long, 60cm in circumference and 383-440 grams. A rugby union ball 28-30cm long, 58-62cm in circumference, and 410-460 grams. They are never used interchangeably in competition.

Rugby balls are further divided into other categories, including mini, youth, training, match, and replica styles.

Mini balls are the smallest of the herd. Normal size is six inches in diameter (at the widest point). They are used mainly for recreation.

Youth balls are used for junior competition. They come in sizes 3, 4, and 5. The first is designed for young children, the second for middle-school and preteen use, and the third is international standard size.

Training balls are designed to withstand hours of punishing practice. While they lack the performance capabilities of match balls, they retain their shape and air pressure longer. They are also generally fashioned from synthetic leather and rubber, which provides maximum longevity.

Match balls are used in competition. Crafted for the utmost performance, to travel high and far when kicked, their surface is usually created from natural rubber, giving them superb but short-lived grip. Many manufacturers have pioneered the use of synthetic rubber match balls to maximize ball life.

Replica balls are smaller or lower-grade imitations of country’s official match balls.

Manufacturers of rugby balls include Gilbert, Adidas, Zenon, Syndicate, Steeden and Canterbury. Gilbert has been chosen as the official match ball of six of the world’s top eight rugby nations. Syndicate is very popular in India, and Steeden manufacturers the Australian National Rugby League’s and European Super League’s match balls.

Regardless of ball selection, rugby remains one of the world’s most popular sports. Play on; play hard; play rugby!