In windy conditions the human kicking tee is still occasionally used. Image caption, By the 1960s the kicker placed the ball on a lump of soil dug from the pitch with the heel of the boot.

In rugby, all passes from the hand must be either lateral or backwards. Players can kick the ball downfield but any of their teammates hoping to retrieve possession from such kicks must be behind ...

which was refined to improve its handling and kicking properties. With the rise of synthetic materials in the mid-20th century, the rugby ball underwent another transformation. Today’s modern ...

Men's Six Nations Championship gets underway on January 31. Here's a crash course on the rules and origins of the 15-a-side ...