Rugby League

[Geoff Parkstone]

Can someone tell me why it is that a rugby league ball weighs less by 2 ounces than a rugby union ball? Are they actually smaller in dimension? Is it because there are less players in a team, so they'd get tired carrying a heavier ball?

Came up in a pub quiz last night....

[MadAmster]

I was never aware of a difference so I had a butcher's.

RU ball. A regulation football is 28–30 cm (11–12 in) long and 58–62 cm (23–24 in) in circumference at its widest point. It weighs 410–460 g (14–16 oz) and is inflated to 65.7–68.8 kPa (9.5–10.0 psi).

RL ball. Is approximately 27 cm (11 in) long and 60 cm (24 in) in circumference at its widest point. A full size ball weighs between 383 and 440 g (13.5 and 15.5 oz) and is inflated to between 9 and 10 psi.

Why the variance? No idea unless it was to emphasise the difference between the codes when RL started. Much in the way the Americans tweaked the language so that is was no longer "English, English".

Both codes have smaller-sized balls for junior versions of the game, such as "Mini" and "Mod".

[Andy_Faber]

No idea, the only oval ball where I’m aware of a reason for its dimensions etc is the NFL ball which is more pointed to enable it to go further and without going end over end. Back in the early days of U.K. NFL coverage there was a feature on this on the C4 weekly show with NFL’s only U.K. representative at the time (and later C4 commentator) Mick Luckhurst doing the throwing, doing ok with the NFL ball and looking a fool with the rugby ball

Apologies for adding colour to the discussion and no I don’t know mick luckhurst personall

[ramAnag]

Can someone tell me why it is that a rugby league ball weighs less by 2 ounces than a rugby union ball? Are they actually smaller in dimension? Is it because there are less players in a team, so they'd get tired carrying a heavier ball?

Came up in a pub quiz last night....

Not sure about the weight difference but the other dimensional difference (an RU ball is slightly ‘fatter’) is because there is far more kicking in RU and RL is a game more devoted to handling skills.

Did you win...the pub quiz?

[Geoff Parkstone]

Not this week but won the previous two netting £140 so can't complain. We got the RU-RL question wrong based on a blind guess.