Does everyone on the team know how to punt? We had it in gym class for two weeks in high school. Since in Rugby you can just punt spontaneously, instead of largely on 4th down as they do in football, the whole team should know how to do it.
In college football they’re importing a lot of punters from AUS/NZL.
Generally it’s the backs and halfbacks who kick. Everyone can in theory, and probably everyone can a bit. But the forwards (think NFL linemen and linebackers) don’t have to and probably don’t much in their free time 
Thanks
Forwards almost never punt. In fact spontaneous punting is unusual unless you’re kicking for touch. Its usually the No. 10, the No. 15, or maybe the halfback and its usually a pre-called move with runners following the punt (the up-and-under as its called). Note there are also chip kicks and grubber kicks which are used when the opposition defence pushes up too close to the advantage line, leaving themselves open to kicks in behind them.
The NY Jets have an Ozzie punter now, Lachlan Edwards. His first year he was pretty bad but he improved greatly last year. He shocked everyone, mostly me, by throwing a wobbler for a first down on a fake punt this year. I didn’t think he knew what a forward pass was
I need a glossary.
So your first 8 are called forwards and they are usually big dudes, some are big and slow others are big and fast.
1 = prop
2 = hooker
3 = prop
4 = lock
5 = lock
6 = flank
7 = flank
8 = “8th man” or number 8
9-15 are your back line and they are smaller that forwards, more agile and quicker and more skillful with certain things.
9 - scrumhalf, half-back, no9
10 - fly half
11 - wing
12 - centre
13 - centre
14 - wing
15 - fullback
most of the kicking is done by no 10, that is his role. Pass the ball or kick it.
no 15 usually can also kick well
no 9 is able to kick you could say but usually just kicks the ball from a scrum or ruck high in the sky with players chasing after it to try catch it again (up and under)
Wings usually are able to do something called a chip kick, he will kick it over the head of a tackler when it is a 1v1 situation because the tackler needs to turn around and try get the ball or chase the runner but because he has to turn around, the attacking player will breeze past him and catch the ball again and score a try (if the kick is good enough)
You also get a grubber kick done by a no 10 (New Zealand pull it off quite well)
You can hear the astonishment in the commentators voices
Love the grubber. If you strike it right, it’ll bounce twice hugging the ground and on the third bounce, that tittie will pop right up into your hands. The last one in this video is well struck.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOPE-F3lK4A
Hoping to see Ireland play at the Rugby World Cup 2019 in Japan!
Nailing a drop kick for goal takes real skill, especially under pressure.
I took rugby for a credit course in Uni back when I was trying for my BPE and to get an “A”, we had to drop-goal on the run from outside the 22m line. I missed it, but bet the prof I could do it left-footed from a set position inside the 22m. I got the A.
Point being, players learn to make chips, drops, and grubbers with both feet.
Also, flankers and #8s usually have some decent kicking skills.
Man, I wish I played more when I was younger. Second greatest game ever.
So in Rugby do you ever “punt” in the football sense, I.e., kick it as far as possible?
Yes. But usually while on the run and under pressure. It’s called Kicking for Touch.
Yep. “In touch” is “out of bounds” in NFL parlance. Usually the idea is to kick it out of bounds to force a “lineout”–a throw in from the side, and gain field position. In some situations they’ll just kick it as far as they can within the field of play. The risk there is that a poor kick will allow the other team to run the kick back quickly and establish field position. Usually the idea is to get hang time so your backs can run down and contest the kick (none of this fair catch stuff).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=esdPo6BDgiY
Sometimes especially in wet weather they kick it back and forth a lot (passing becomes more dicey when the ball is wet.) Sometimes teams use punting and other positional kicks as a tactic to put pressure on the other team, the All Blacks come to mind.
adding to the topic above
I read there is a tradition of Ruby in Taiwan, but couldn’t find a list of teams, leagues.
I found the rugby union website but couldn’t navigate my way around.
It would be nice to catch a live game or two, and if I can find a biggish local team maybe give them a bit of support.
Rugby in Taiwan has never been quite as organized as having season-long, nationwide leagues. There are weekend-long tournaments for the most parts. The Kaohsiung Sevens was this weekend. There is of course a foreigner team, the Baboons, based out of the Brass Monkey pub. You’re welcome to rock up to the Bailing Bridge fields to catch come action, search for them on Facebook.
This year saw a Mayor’s Cup in Taipei played over a series of weekends which hopefully portends of a more organized approach. Mayor Ko apparently believes rugby is the way forward.