Science is all around us and can be found in everyday life, even in the areas you might not expect. We know how passionate our communities are about sport, so we’ve worked with Scottish Rugby to demonstrate the science behind rugby.
Did you ever wonder how fast the rugby ball travels through the air? What angle the player kicked the ball at or how much force is involved in rugby tackle or scrums? Check out our brainteasers and fun facts about rugby below.
Speed
A few seconds can make all the difference when you’re running to score a try! Watch this video to find out more about the science behind Rhona’s speed.
While we might not see it from the stands, rugby players apply science to everything they do – from running, to tackles and scrums. Every time a rugby player is about to kick or catch a ball, they have to think about speed, angles, distance or time.
Force
To move the other team, your team needs to generate enough force in a scrum. Check out the science behind this in the video below.
FUN FACT: Did you know that scrums could generate more than 16,000 Newtons of force? This is equivalent to pushing a double decker bus!
Here’s the science behind this fun fact:
- We used Newton’s Second Law (F = m x a) where F stands for Force, m is mass of an object and a is acceleration.
- Force generated in a scrum is 16,000 Newtons
- Mass of a double decker bus is 12,000 kilograms
- Therefore, if a scrum pushes a double decker bus, the bus will accelerate by at 1.3 m/s².
Angles
To score a successful conversion, you need to kick the ball as closely as possible to the optimum angle. See if you can guess what that angle is below!
Now that you know all about the science behind some of the key movements in rugby, you can proudly claim a STEM expert title in your rugby team!
Are you up for another STEM challenge? Check out other STEM resources to find out what it takes to become a STEM expert.