Viewing rugby makes much more sense and becomes far more entertaining when you understand the rugby scoring system. Once explained it is quite easy to follow and once you grasp the points value for each activity you will find the game more stimulating.

There are a few basic ways to put points on the rugby scoreboard. They are the try, penalty try, conversion, penalty goal and the drop goal (also known as field goal or drop kick).

Drop Kicks

The conversion and the penalty goal require a specialist kicker to place the ball and kick it between the vertical goal posts and over the crossbar of the goal posts. The kicker may choose between using a kicking tee, pile of sand or sawdust to kick the ball from. He steps back and then runs up to the ball prior to kicking between the uprights.

A drop kick is different to a conversion in that the player drops the ball from his hands and tries to kick the ball over the crossbar and between the vertical goal posts during the run of play. It is a specific skill, and field goals are rare – they take precise timing and lots of practice to master.

A referee can award a penalty try if he believes the defending team deliberately fouled the attacking team in an attempt to prevent them completing a move that would have ended in a try being scored. The official phrase is ‘beyond reasonable doubt’.

To show this the referee runs to a central point beneath the crossbar of the goalposts, lifts his arm and blows his whistle. The attacking team gets the opportunity of a conversion kick with the opportunity to add points to the score.

Converted Tries

Scoring a try is the best way to rack up score in rugby. A try is recorded when the attacking team goes over the defending teams goal-line and places the ball on the ground in their in-goal area. Once a try is scored the referee raises his arm and blows his whistle. Scoring the try and the penalty try are valued at five points each.

When a try is scored the referee stands at the point where the try was scored and points in a line back up the field parallel to the sidelines. The goal kicker can take the conversion attempt at any point along that line.

Usually the goal kicker takes the conversion attempt at a point where he/she feels happy around 20 – 30 metres from the goalposts. Kicking a conversion adds 2 points to the try scoring side. When a team triumphantly kicks a penalty goal they are awarded 3 points.

While a team is making a conversion attempt, the defending team must stand on or behind the goal-line. As the kicker gets ready to take the conversion, the players are permiteed to rush the kicker as he begins his run at the ball.

The sum for a converted try is a total of 7 points (5 for the try and 2 for the conversion).

Rugby Score

For any team to make the top there is a requirement for an outstanding goal kicker to be in their team. Goal kickers are extremely valuable as there are many indiscretions in the play of a normal rugby game.

Any of these indiscretions being made in a teams defensive area of the game gives an opportunity for their opponents to score valuable points against them. A kicker who can victoriously kick a goal from any area of the field instantly puts incredible pressure on the opposing team.

An outstanding goal kicker in your team, with a specialist field goal kicker or two, most certainly makes a great start for any team to get their highest rugby score. It also puts urgency on any team they play.