Samoa rules is a game derived from Australian rules football and

rugby union Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In it ...

that is occasionally played in

Samoa Samoa, officially the Independent State of Samoa; sm, Sāmoa, and until 1997 known as Western Samoa, is a Polynesian island country consisting of two main islands ( Savai'i and Upolu); two smaller, inhabited islands ( Manono and Apolima); ...

Rules

Generally the rules are taken from Australian rules, but each team consists of 15 players, like rugby union. Unlike Australian rules football, player movement is restricted to zones (similarly to

rec footy Recreational Football (also known as ''Rec Footy'' or ''Recreational Footy'') was a non-contact version of the Australian rules football game first played in 2003 and later sanctioned by the Australian Football League's game development arm, it ...

). There is a line across the centre that backs and forwards can not cross. Onballers are allowed to go anywhere. Forwards can only operate in their attacking half, the backs in their defensive half. Like Gaelic football, players are permitted to bounce the ball only once while running, in order to encourage kicking.

Pitch

The game is played on rugby union fields, sometimes a single one, or two side by side. This means the pitch is rectangular, rather than oval, like an Australian football field.

History

The Vailima Six-Shooters' Championship began in Samoa in 1998 under these rules, becoming known as Samoa rules. A number of Samoa rules players went on to represent Samoa in the

Samoan national Australian rules football team The Samoan national Australian rules football team, nicknamed the Kangaroos ( sm, Kāgalū), represents Samoa in the team sport of Australian rules football. The team is selected from the best Samoan born players, who are currently mostly pla ...

References

{{Team sports Rugby union in Samoa Ball games Variations of Australian rules football Australian rules football in Samoa Variations of rugby union Sports originating in Australia Hybrid sports Football codes