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World Youth Rugby Festival brings dozens of teams to the Orange County Great Park

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  • A member of the Rhinos Rugby Academy team passes the ball to a teammate during the U-18 girls final match against another team from the Rhinos Rugby Academy on Wednesday, July 3, 2019, the final day of the three day World Youth Rugby Festival held at the the Orange County Great Park in Irvine. Approximately 60 teams from the U.S. and South Africa competed during the festival. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • A member of the Arizona Warthog Rugby team drops the ball as he tries to pass to a teammate during a match against the Kona Bulls on Wednesday, July 3, 2019, the final day of the three day World Youth Rugby Festival held at the the Orange County Great Park in Irvine. Approximately 60 teams from the U.S. and South Africa competed during the festival. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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  • Rugby players and fans watch the competition from the sidelines on Wednesday, July 3, 2019, the final day of the three day World Youth Rugby Festival at the the Orange County Great Park in Irvine. Approximately 60 teams from the U.S. and South Africa competed during the festival. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • A member of the Arizona Warthog Rugby team carries the ball during a match against the Kona Bulls on Wednesday, July 3, 2019, the final day of the three day World Youth Rugby Festival held at the the Orange County Great Park in Irvine. Approximately 60 teams from the U.S. and South Africa competed during the festival. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • A member of the Arizona Warthog Rugby team carries the ball during a match against the Kona Bulls on Wednesday, July 3, 2019, the final day of the three day World Youth Rugby Festival held at the the Orange County Great Park in Irvine. Approximately 60 teams from the U.S. and South Africa competed during the festival. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • A few rugby fans watch the competition from the sidelines on Wednesday, July 3, 2019, the final day of the three day World Youth Rugby Festival at the the Orange County Great Park in Irvine. Approximately 60 teams from the U.S. and South Africa competed during the festival. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • A member of the Kona Bulls Rugby team catches the ball during a match against the Arizona Warthog Rugby team on Wednesday, July 3, 2019, the final day of the three day World Youth Rugby Festival held at the the Orange County Great Park in Irvine. Approximately 60 teams from the U.S. and South Africa competed during the festival. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • Rugby players from the Super Falcons of South Africa go after the ball as a lone player of the Rhinos Rugby Academy moves in during a match on Wednesday, July 3, 2019, the final day of the three day World Youth Rugby Festival held at the the Orange County Great Park in Irvine. Approximately 60 teams from the U.S. and South Africa competed during the festival. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • Rugby players and fans watch the competition from the sidelines on Wednesday, July 3, 2019, the final day of the three day World Youth Rugby Festival at the the Orange County Great Park in Irvine. Approximately 60 teams from the U.S. and South Africa competed during the festival. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • A member of the Rhinos Rugby Academy team carries the ball during the U-18 girls final match against another team from the Rhinos Rugby Academy on Wednesday, July 3, 2019, the final day of the three day World Youth Rugby Festival held at the the Orange County Great Park in Irvine. Approximately 60 teams from the U.S. and South Africa competed during the festival. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • The jersey of a member of the Arizona Warthog Rugby team as he makes his way off the field on Wednesday, July 3, 2019, the final day of the three day World Youth Rugby Festival at the the Orange County Great Park in Irvine. Approximately 60 teams from the U.S. and South Africa competed during the festival. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • Rugby players from the Super Falcons of South Africa go after the ball as a lone player of the Rhinos Rugby Academy moves in during a match on Wednesday, July 3, 2019, the final day of the three day World Youth Rugby Festival held at the the Orange County Great Park in Irvine. Approximately 60 teams from the U.S. and South Africa competed during the festival. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • A member of the Rhinos Rugby Academy team passes the ball to a teammate during the U-18 girls final match against another team from the Rhinos Rugby Academy on Wednesday, July 3, 2019, the final day of the three day World Youth Rugby Festival held at the the Orange County Great Park in Irvine. Approximately 60 teams from the U.S. and South Africa competed during the festival. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • A rugby player carries a ball off the field on Wednesday, July 3, 2019, the final day of the three day World Youth Rugby Festival at the the Orange County Great Park in Irvine. Approximately 60 teams from the U.S. and South Africa competed during the festival. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • Rugby players watch one of the last matches from the sideline on Wednesday, July 3, 2019, the final day of the three day World Youth Rugby Festival at the the Orange County Great Park in Irvine. Approximately 60 teams from the U.S. and South Africa competed during the festival. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • A few of the many trophies awarded to teams during the final day of the three day World Youth Rugby Festival held at the Orange County Great Park in Irvine, on Wednesday, July 3, 2019. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • With bandaged legs, a rugby player watches the competition from the sideline on Wednesday, July 3, 2019, the final day of the three day World Youth Rugby Festival held at the the Orange County Great Park in Irvine. Approximately 60 teams from the U.S. and South Africa competed during the festival. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • One of the many trophies awarded to teams on the final day of the three day World Youth Rugby Festival held at the Orange County Great Park in Irvine, on Wednesday, July 3, 2019. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • Rugby players get some rest in the shade off the field on Wednesday, July 3, 2019, during the final day of the three day World Youth Rugby Festival held at the the Orange County Great Park in Irvine. Approximately 60 teams from the U.S. and South Africa competed during the festival. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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Somewhere between football and soccer but not quite like either of them is rugby, the sport that brought about 60 teams from around the mainland U.S. as well as Hawaii and South Africa this week to play a three-day tournament at the Orange County Great Park in Irvine.

It was the second year for the World Youth Rugby Festival, which ended Wednesday, July 3; the first such tournament was held in San Jose during the 2018 Rugby World Cup.

“Next year there will be more international teams,” said Derek Nellmapius, president of Rhinos Rugby Academy in Irvine, the festival’s host team.

Male and female players grouped by age – from kids under 10 to adults in their early 20s – ran, passed the ball, tackled and came away with bruised elbows, skinned knees and, in some cases, victory trophies. They also took part in training clinics offered by pro rugby players.

In popular lore, rugby may have evolved from a game played in ancient Rome more than 2,000 years ago, and the modern sport is said to have started at Rugby School in England around 1823.

Rugby’s objectives and scoring are similar to that of American football, but there’s more running and stricter rules about who can be tackled and when, and players wear uniforms and gear more like that of soccer players.