One position - so many names!

[WF2006]

Quote on RugbyHeaven
"Jimmy Hilgendorf, who emerged last season after a raft of injuries to the new franchise in its first season, will start at outside half."

I've heard it called #10, flyhalf and five eighth - but outside half?

I always thought that five eighth was a League term and #10 is obviously just a jumper, so I've always used flyhalf but I've not played the game ever.

What do you guys think is correct (for local WA/Oz vernacular anyway?)

[Rodent]

I saw that as well.

I have never heard it referred to as outside half.

Outside of that article that is.

[Darren]

Northern Hemisphere vernacular?

[Thequeerone]

Looked it up in Wikpedia

Alternate names for positions
Prop : Prop forward
Hooker: Hook, Rake
Lock : Second row, lock forward
Flanker: Wing Fowards, breakaway, flank, flank forward
Number 8: Eightman, eighthman, lock forward
Scrum half : Inside half, half-back, scrummie
Fly half : Outside half, out half, stand-off, first five-eighth, first five, fly, pivot
Inside centre : Second five-eighth, second five or centre
Outside centre :Centre, centre threequarter
Winger : Wingman, wing threequarter

That's why I stick with Numbers depending on which hemisphere and which bit of the southern - peps may or may not understand what you are trying to say - must admit the accent don't help either

[GIGS20]

and if you play touch (as in official touch) you could call it 'link'

[Ecky]

Looked it up in Wikpedia

Alternate names for positions
Prop : Prop forward
Hooker: Hook, Rake
Lock : Second row, lock forward
Flanker: Wing Fowards, breakaway, flank, flank forward
Number 8: Eightman, eighthman, lock forward
Scrum half : Inside half, half-back, scrummie
Fly half : Outside half, out half, stand-off, first five-eighth, first five, fly, pivot
Inside centre : Second five-eighth, second five or centre
Outside centre :Centre, centre threequarter
Winger : Wingman, wing threequarter

That's why I stick with Numbers depending on which hemisphere and which bit of the southern - peps may or may not understand what you are trying to say - must admit the accent don't help either

The first entries were what I had thought the IRB had asked them to be called a couple of years ago.

I think some people just can't accept change - like all of you Kiwis who say 1st five & 2nd five.

A few years ago I asked around as to why the wings were sometimes called wing threequarters and it's all to do with where they stand: The #9 is half-way back, so he's a half back, #15 is all the way back so he's full back, 11 & 14 are between them, so 3/4.

Apparently.

[brokendown gunfighter]

and if you play touch (as in official touch) you could call it 'link'

Thought "link" was a prop

[Nick]

Yeah I've always known the "Fly Half" position as 1st five eight and the inside center as 2nd five eight but I got that off my family who are all Kiwis...

You can see the differnce in attitude I think to the backlines where you have two pivots (another name for the #10) rather than the bash it up the middle type centre. AB's have this with Carter and McAllister - the Force had it with Hilgendorf and Giteau.

The opposite to this would be the Aust fly half combo of say Larkham and Mortlock who wouldnt be a top line #10 but can break tackles etc.

[prop53]

lets face it after No 3 who cares

[Burgs]

All things change in a developing Rugby State I guess.
Back "in the day" I would have named a team as:

1. Loosehead Prop
2. Hooker
3. Tighthead Prop
4. Second Row
5. Second Row
6. Blindside (or "Left" at Schoolboys) Breakaway
7. Openside (or "Right" at Schoolboys) Breakaway
8. Number 8 (and sometimes Lock as he "Locked" it all together at the back)
9. Half Back
10. 5/8
11. Left Wing
12. Inside Centre
13. Outside Centre
14. Right Wing
15. Full Back

Now days it seems the more International terms have taken over which is good in some ways but takes the regional character out of the sport too.
To my knowledge, a WA team would now have the positions reffered to as:

1. Loosehead Prop
2. Hooker
3. Tighthead Prop
4. Left Lock
5. Right Lock
6. Blindside Flanker
7. Openside Flanker
8. Number 8 ( #8 )
9. Half Back (or Scrum Half, to me it almost describes the style of #9, ie Henjak is a Scrum Half , where O'Young is a Half Back...)
10. Fly Half
11. Left Wing
12. Inside Centre
13. Outside Centre
14. Right Wing
15. Full Back

Many of the more obscure names come down through the history of the sport though when the roles may not be the same as today.
I have a list somewhere of the names from around the World, I'll have a look around for it.....Found it! http://thewholeforce.com/showthread.php?t=1145

[Nick]

Actually Burgs back in the day flankers used to be known as Wing Forwards, or as I was told more than once plaing blindside a pretend forward ha ha.

[Burgs]

Depends whos "day" it is Nick
I never heard that term while at School but learnt of it when watching footage from the past and then in books.
Schoolboys in WA during the 80's and early 90's "Breakaway" was the main term I heard and used, very rarely heard the term "Flanker" and if someone had said "Wing Forward" we would have thought they were a confused Aussie Rules convert
The variations across the regions and even locally are part of what I love about the code though.

[shasta]

I wish the TV "experts" would stop calling them "9" & "10" etc. Mainly because for a lot of our fellow Sandgropers it's new territory. They'd do a service by using more descriptive names along the lines of what Burgs posted above.

[Darren]

I often played wing/flanker/breakaway at #6 or #7 as a kid...

[Burgs]

Covered in a bit more depth over here in an article Coach did ages ago: http://thewholeforce.com/showthread.php?t=1145