Rugby does not require a lot of equipment to play. All you need is a special ball, a setup for scoring, and safety equipment to prevent injury. Unlike football, rugby players do not wear a lot of body padding or large helmets.
Rugby Ball
Like football, both teams in rugby vie to move a ball to the opposite end of the field. The ball used in rugby is somewhat similar to a football, it's made of leather and is easy to grip. Standard rugby balls come in three sizes for different age groups, and they lack the laces that are common on a football. They are oval in shape, but don't have the pointed ends of the football. The smooth ends of the rugby ball help minimize unpredictable bouncing.
Goal Posts
Like in football, points can be scored by kicking the rugby ball through a stand-up goal post. The kicker stands 10 meters from the goal post and attempts to kick the ball through for two points.
Headpieces
The International Rugby Board sets standards for the type of head protection that a rugby player can wear. Head gear is optional but recommended to avoid injury. The head gear must come with a chin strap so it doesn't get knocked loose during the rugby match. The headgear can't be thicker than 1 cm and it can't be denser than 45 kg per cubic meter.
Mouth Guard
Although rugby players usually do without excessive safety padding, one essential piece of protection is the mouth guard. Like mouth guards used in boxing, rugby mouth guards protect the teeth during tackles and violent contact to the body.
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