The largest players in a rugby union team, props must also be the strongest – especially in the upper body, shoulders and neck – as they are the key to the power of the scrum, bearing the full brunt of the opposition in the front row of the scrum. Each team requires two props for the scrum, the two props must support the hooker when scrummaging by holding up the opposition, and are also responsible for lifting or supporting the team’s jumper in a line-out.

There are two prop positions in a rugby team, a Loose Head Prop and a Tight Head Prop.

Loose Head Props wear the No.1 jersey and are positioned to the left of the hooker (No.2) in the front row of the scrum (he/she will be the nearest player to the scrum half when the ball is put into the scrum).

Tight Head Props wear the No.3 jersey and are positioned to the right of the hooker. They are so-called as their head is locked into a scrum between the opposing side’s hooker and loose-head, whereas the latter has no man to his left in the scrum.

A Hooker wears the No.2 jersey in the team, forms the front row in the middle of either prop and is chiefly responsible for ‘hooking’ the ball out of a scrum with his/her feet. The hooker is also usually the team member chosen to throw the ball into a line-out.

Flankers (or wing forwards) make up the second or back row of the forwards along with locks. They join the scrum on either side of the lock, providing support and stability instead of pushing as hard as the tight five, as they have to prevent the oncoming attacking backs if the opposing side win the scrum.

Openside Flankers bind to the side of the scrum that is furthest away from the touchline, where open play is likely to occur, and typically wears the No.7 jersey.

Blindside Flankers, wearing the No.6, bind to the scrum on the side nearest to the touchline. With the fewest responsibilities, flankers need to be the team’s all-rounders with speed, strength, fitness, tackling and handling attributes.

Along with the No.8 they are responsible for the forward movement of play and the exponents of gaining possession from the opposing side.

The No.8 concludes the second row with the locks and flankers, working closely with the latter to gain possession fro the opposition and encourage forward attack from his own team. A No.8 is positioned behind the two locks in a scrum and in drawing them together locks in the strength of the tight five forwards. He/she is also responsible, once the hooker has kicked the ball backwards, for guiding the ball towards the scrum half, or picking the ball up from the back of the scrum to begin an attack.

Due to the size and strength typified by a No.8, they can be used as a line-out jumper, or used to support the jumper if not in use.

Often the key player of the fifteen, the Scrum Half wears the No.9 jersey and is the player that most closely connects the backs to the forwards. Often the dictator of the direction of play and always at the centre of the action, the scrum half puts the ball into the scrum and on most occasions collects the ball at the back of a winning scrum to begin an attacking movement.

The scrum half can also make the decisions at a line-out. This high-pressure position demands excellent ball-handling and decision making skills along with the attributes of evasive running skills and precise kicking abilities. A tactical player with an ability to read the game effectively is crucial in the role of the scrum half.

The Outside / Fly Half occupyies one of the most influential positions on the pitch. The fly half (originating from the term flying half back) or stand-off half wears the No.10 jersey. Responsible for positional and defensive place-kicking on the field, the fly half is normally the chief goal kicker in the team.

The position demands the skills of decision making and leadership and a high level of kicking ability is crucial in this role; the fly half should also be an exceptional and evasive runner.

Wings, playing in the No.11 and No.14 jerseys on either side of the pitch, are often the fastest runners on the pitch responsible for finishing attacking moves in try-scoring. It is essential that wings are evasive and pacy runners, have outstanding ball retention skills and also provide a certain flair to attacking moves.

Kicking skills must also be exceptional; a wing must be able to kick long effectively to gain territory or put the ball into touch, initiate high, box or grubber kicks whilst also being able to deal with high or long kicks from the opposition.

The two Centres in a team are strong, agile runners and ball carriers who often initiate breaks in attack. They also provide defensive cover and are subsequently are strong in the tackle; centres need to be able to read the game insightfully as they are often key decisions makers in the direction of the game.

An Inside Centre wears the No.12 jersey and tends to be the larger of the two.

The Outside Centre wears the No.13 jersey and is the smaller and often more agile and faster centre.

The Fullback wears the No.15 jersey and is the last line of defence. They are often required to catch long kicks from the opposition and enact counter attacks with the newly-acquired possession. They need excellent attacking, running and kicking skills, but also possess the ability to organise the defence.

The fullback, as the deepest player in position on the field, must benefit from the greater opportunity and space he has by reading the game well, supporting the attacking movement of his fellow backs and tackling efficiently when necessary to prevent try-scoring efforts of the opposition.