Rugby league football is a full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular field. One of the two codes of rugby, it originated in Northern England in 1895 as a split from the Rugby Football Union over the issue of payments to players. Its rules progressively changed with the aim of producing a faster, more entertaining game for spectators.
In the game of rugby union, there are 15 players on each team, comprising eight forwards and seven backs. In addition, there may be up to eight replacement players "on the bench", numbered 16–23. Players are not restricted to a single position, although they generally specialise in just one or two that suit their skills and body types. Players that play multiple positions are called "utility players".
Matthew Johns is an Australian rugby league football commentator and former professional player. An Australian international and New South Wales State of Origin representative five-eighth, Johns played his club football primarily with the Newcastle Knights, alongside his younger brother, Andrew Johns. Since March 2011, Johns has been a co-host on the Triple M Sydney breakfast show called The Grill Team with Mark Geyer. Since 2012, Johns has been a part of the Fox Sports NRL coverage. He also had his own show for one season, The Matty Johns Show.
A rugby league team consists of thirteen players on the field, with four substitutes on the bench. Each of the thirteen players is assigned a position, normally with a standardised number, which reflects their role in attack and defence, although players can take up any position at any time.
Five-eighth or Stand-off is one of the positions in a rugby league football team. Wearing jersey number 6, this player is one of the two half backs in a team, partnering the scrum-half. Sometimes known as the pivot or second receiver, in a traditional attacking 'back-line'. play the five-eighth would receive the ball from the scrum half, who is the first receiver of the ball from the dummy-half or hooker following a tackle.
Peter John Slattery was a rugby union player playing in the position of scrum-half. He played 17 matches for Australia, and was a starting player during the 1991 Rugby World Cup.
James Hanson is a rugby union player for Gloucester Rugby in the Aviva Premiership, playing as a hooker.
Reginald "Reg" Edward Blakemore was a Welsh rugby union, and professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1940s and 1950s. He played representative level rugby union (RU) for Wales, and at club level for Newport RFC, as a hooker, i.e. number 2, and club level rugby league (RL) for St. Helens, as a hooker, i.e. number 9, during the era of contested scrums.
John Arthur Fihelly was a rugby union player who represented Australia, a professional rugby league footballer, a founder of the Queensland rugby league, and a Labor Party politician.
John Garven "Jock" Blackwood was a rugby union player who represented Australia.
Francis Wallace Meagher was a rugby union player who represented Australia.
Reginald H. "Reg" Foote was a rugby union player who represented Australia.
John Wylie P. Breckenridge was a rugby union player who represented Australia.
George Ruebner is an Australian former rugby union and rugby league footballer.
Peter George Rowles is an Australian former rugby union and professional rugby league footballer of the 1970s and 1980s. In union he represented Australia and in league he played in the NSWRFL Premiership for the Western Suburbs and Newtown clubs.
John Edward Berne is a rugby union and rugby league player who represented Australia in rugby union. Berne, a centre, claimed one international rugby cap for Australia. In rugby league, Berne represented South Sydney Rabbitohs from 1976–79, Eastern Suburbs Roosters in 1980 and 1985, and Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks from 1981-83 also primarily as a centre.
Jonathon Parker Laidley White is an Australian former national representative rugby union player who made twenty-four Test appearances for his country between 1958 and 1965. He is regarded as one of Australia's finest rugby football players of the 20th century.
Reginald "Reg" Higgins was a British international rugby player.
