rugby

noun, often capitalized rug·by \ ˈrəg-bē \

|Updated on: 17 Jun 2018

Definition of rugby

: a football game in which play is continuous without time-outs or substitutions, interference and forward passing are not permitted, and kicking, dribbling, lateral passing, and tackling are featured

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Recent Examples of rugby from the Web

The Lions came into the tournament fresh off a title in the USA Rugby college sevens national championship two weeks ago against the University of California, regarded as one of the best rugby teams in the country.

— corey sharp, Philly.com, "Lindenwood men and women sweep rugby titles in Chester," 3 June 2018
Kerr’s father, Roger, played and coached Australian rules football — a facsimile of rugby with contact reminiscent of the NFL in the 1980s.

— david haugh, chicagotribune.com, "Red Stars embrace Australian sensation Samantha Kerr — but 'Chicago doesn’t really know she’s here yet'," 2 June 2018
The Grey Cup was first earned by the University of Toronto Varsity Blues in 1909 as Canada's amateur rugby football champions.

— nate davis, USA TODAY, "The CFL: 10 things you (and Johnny Manziel) might not know," 24 May 2018
Katryna Ritter, a five-year member of the rugby club, says she was bitten in her mother’s yard on Mother’s Day and the bite was bad enough to require anti-venom.

— mark price, charlotteobserver, "'I felt every kind of pain you can imagine' Copperhead bites Charlotte rugby player | Charlotte Observer," 22 May 2018
Eagle River's Alev Kelter helped the U.S. women's rugby sevens team make history Sunday in Canada.

— beth bragg, Anchorage Daily News, "Alaska’s Alev Kelter lifts US women’s team to historic rugby medal," 14 May 2018
Laos, an intrepid group of young women are honing their rugby skills.

— staff, The Christian Science Monitor, "Meanwhile in ... Barcelona, Spain, every time Lionel Messi scores a goal, the city jumps – literally," 3 May 2018
With approximately 50 rugby programs in Florida, there is always plenty of competition during the season as well as tournament play.

— emmett hall, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Okapi Wanderers Rugby FC enjoy successful season with two state championships," 28 Apr. 2018
Other sports that missed the final cut: rowing, fencing and rugby.

— michael mcgough, sacbee, "UC Davis adds 2 women's teams to meet Title IX standards as campus demographics change | The Sacramento Bee," 14 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'rugby.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.