What is the Difference Between Union and League?

The main differences between rugby union and rugby league include the number of players, rules, and gameplay. Here are the key differences:

1. Number of Players: Rugby union has 15 players per team, while rugby league has 13 players per team.
2. Substitutions: In rugby union, each team can make a maximum of 8 substitutions during a game, while in rugby league, each team can make 10 substitutions.
3. Tackling: In rugby league, after a tackle is made, the player must place the ball between their legs and roll it back to a teammate, stopping the play momentarily. In rugby union, the game continues after a tackle, and play does not stop, often resulting in a ruck to contest the ball.
4. Scoring: Both sports have tries, conversions, drop goals, and penalties, but the points awarded for each action differ. In rugby union, a try is worth 5 points, a conversion is worth 2 points, a drop goal is worth 3 points, and a penalty is worth 3 points. In rugby league, a try is worth 4 points, a conversion is worth 2 points, a drop goal is worth 1 point, and a penalty is worth 2 points.
5. Lineouts and Scrums: Rugby union has lineouts, which do not exist in rugby league. In rugby union, scrums usually involve 8 players, while in rugby league, scrums typically have 6 players.

These differences in rules and gameplay have led to the development of two distinct forms of rugby, each with its own unique characteristics and strategies.

Comparative Table: Union vs League

The difference between UNION and UNION ALL in SQL lies in the way they combine the results of two or more tables. Here is a comparison table highlighting the key differences:

Both UNION and UNION ALL are used to retrieve data from two or more tables, but they handle duplicate rows differently. UNION returns distinct records from both tables, while UNION ALL returns all the records from both tables, including duplicates.