Subbuteo Rugby had its humble beginnings with a “Flat Edition,” a game that was vastly different from the version we’re familiar with today. The early iteration involved playing with pieces that resembled more like draughts pieces (or checkers for our American friends). However, around the same time as football transitioned to HW figures, Subbuteo Rugby as we know it was born in 1968/69 and remained on sale until 1982, when it was eventually discontinued along with cricket.

However, the game didn’t quite capture the popularity and ease of play of its football counterpart. While football is often described as easy to play but difficult to master, rugby proved to be more challenging to understand and didn’t quite live up to expectations. You could say it was Difficult to Play and Difficult to Master… No wonder there are groups dedicated to Reworking the rules to make the game more playable…
Some have even claimed that the original game was better to play than the version sold between 1968 and 1983, I read that somewhere but can’t remember where…

The Rugby Range featured its own figure design commonly referred to as the “Chunky” or “Rugby Chunky.” While this figure was the mainstay of the range, teams were also sold on the football HW figures. Many enthusiasts, myself included, believe that everything looks better on HW figures, and the Rugby range certainly supports this notion.

Italian teams painted by Parodi were exclusively on HW figures (check them out under HW Rugby Teams). The Rugby Range also had its own unique base, although football bases were occasionally used when supplies ran low.

Towards the end of the Rugby’s life cycle, teams started to appear on LW figures. This has led to speculation about the existence of “Zombie Rugby Teams,” although none have surfaced yet. Technically, the teams in the World of Sport set are Zombie Teams, but they could just be recycled references from football (Ref 1-2 in football terms although they would full under Ref 3 and 6 in rugby terms), indicating the possibility of their existence. They have also they were also used in some regular and sevens sets of the time as well.

Additionally, the game featured kickers, which were included in all references, so there will be a dedicated page for them too. Enjoy exploring the world of Subbuteo Rugby teams and kickers!

For a more detail look and info on the Rugby Range http://www.peter-upton.co.uk/rugby.htm (For More Info on the Player type Visit Peter Upton’s Subbuteo site)