Amity Rugby Triumphs Over Staples

The Amity rugby club opened its season Sunday with a 19-0 victory over Staples of Westport. Last year Amity and Madison ran a coop team but this year, Amity stands on its own.

Tyler Webster’s try and conversion gave the winners a 7-0 halftime lead. Amity extended its advantage with second half tries from Tyler Bishop and Anthony Sanchez and a conversion by Webster.

According to club organizer/Business Manager  Ed Walsh, “We were quicker and  on our game.”

A try is 5 points (the highest number of points a rugby team can score at one time) and is roughly the equivalent to a football touchdown. The term “touchdown” comes from the rugby rule which requires the offensive team to actually touch the ball down after the ball is grounded in the in-goal area  (which is equivalent  to the end zone in football) or on the try-line itself. To signal a successful try, the referee raises one arm and blows his whistle at exact spot where the ball came in contact with the turf.  That spot is important as it determines where the conversion kick will originate. Following a try, the attacking team is given an opportunity to add a two-point conversion kick.

The referee marks the place where the try was scored. The goal kicker then tees up the ball on a rugby tee or a hand-sculpted mound of sand (if sand is available on the field) anywhere on the line parallel to the touchline, out from where the ball was grounded (touched to the turf) by an attacking player. Usually the goal kicker moves the ball back as far as he needs so as to get a better angle and improve his chance of making a successful conversion. During a conversion attempt, players from the defensive team can charge at the kicker and try to block his attempt; however, the entire defensive team must stand on or behind the goal line until the kicker begins to approach the ball. According to rules recently adopted by the International Rugby Board, the kicker has one minute after scoring a try to attempt his conversion. If the kicked ball goes though the uprights, the touch judges raise their flags and the referee blows his whistle to indicate the 2-point conversion was successful. Again as is the case with American football, if the kick is missed, no conversion points are added.