Rugby Union/8-man

The 8-man stands at the very back of the scrum. There is only one on the field for a team at one time.

Responsibilities

In the Scrum

• Organize the scrum's push
  • Often the forward captain
• Control the ball when it comes back
• Protect the scrum half when s/he is passing

In General Play

• Follow the ball around, to support the runner
• Be ready to run the ball into the other team's defense
• Be ready to tackle the other team's big players
• Be active in the ruck

In the Lineout

• Stands at the back of the lineout
  • Often the tackler when the other team throws in/steals the lineout