Parlez-vous rugby ?

Allez les (Choose your colour) !

Look at what AI gave me :
Rugby terminology crosses language barriers with ease once you know the basics. The game is known as le rugby à quinze in French. Key terms and positions are translated directly below.

Basic Actions and Scoring

  • Try: l’essai. (Scoring 5 points by grounding the ball)
  • Conversion: transformation. (Kick taken after a try, worth 2 points)
  • Penalty: pénalité.
  • Tackle: plaquage. (Bringing a player to the ground)
  • Knock-on: en-avant. (Accidentally dropping the ball forward)
  • Pass: la passe.

Gameplay Terms

  • Scrum: la mêlée. (Players bind together to contest the ball)
  • Lineout: la touche. (Restarting play from the sideline)
  • Ruck: le ruck. (Players battle over a tackled player on the ground)
  • Maul: le maul. (Players push while the ball carrier is on their feet)
  • Offside: hors jeu. [1, 2]

Player Positions (Les postes)

A rugby team has 15 players. They are split into Forwards (Les avants) and Backs (Les arrières).

Forwards
  • Prop: le pilier. (Provides power in the scrum)
  • Hooker: le talonneur. (Wins the ball in the scrum)
  • Lock: le deuxième ligne. (Tall players who jump at lineouts)
  • Flanker: le troisième ligne. (Fast forwards who win the ball)
  • Number Eight: le numéro huit. (Controls the ball at the back of the scrum) 

Backs
  • Scrum-half: le demi de mêlée. (Passes the ball from the forwards to the backs)
  • Fly-half: le demi d’ouverture. (Directs the team’s tactics)
  • Centre: le centre. (Powerful runners in the midfield)
  • Winger: l’ailier. (Fast players on the outside)
  • Fullback: l’arrière. (The last line of defense at the back)
To understand a specific match scenario in both English and French, let’s look at one of the most exciting moments in a rugby game: a turnover that leads to a counter-attack and a winning score.
Here is how a commentator would describe this intense sequence of events in both languages.

The Scenario: A Match-Winning Play

English Match Action French Match Action What It Means
The defending team forms a ruck. L’équipe qui défend forme un ruck. [1] Players contest for the ball on the ground after a tackle.
The openside flanker steals the ball! Le troisième ligne aile gratte le ballon ! [1] A defender legally wins the ball from the opponent.
It is a turnover. C’est un turn-over (or perte de balle). Possession of the ball changes sides.
The scrum-half passes to the fly-half. Le demi de mêlée passe au demi d’ouverture. [1] The playmaker gets the ball to start the attack.
The fly-half kicks a brilliant 50:22! Le demi d’ouverture trouve un superbe 50:22 ! An attacking kick from one’s own half that bounces into touch in the opponent’s 22.
They win an attacking lineout. Ils obtiennent une touche offensive. [1] The kicking team throws the ball into the lineout close to the try line.
The forwards form a rolling maul. Les avants forment un maul pénétrant. [1] Players bind together around the ball carrier to push forward.
The hooker crashes over the try line! Le talonneur s’écroule dans l’en-but ! [1] The player grounds the ball to score.
The referee awards the try. L’arbitre accorde l’essai. [1] The 5 points are officially added to the scoreboard.