Rugby hooker

A rugby hooker plays in the middle of the front row of the scrum in a rugby game. Find out what you do and how you play well as a hooker.

Hooker position in the team

15 players are on the rugby field at any one time.

This includes 8 forwards

3 of these are the "front row" forwards in the scrum

one of those is the hooker

with a prop on either side.

At lineouts hookers throw in the ball, like this

Rugby hooker throws in to a lineout

The opposing hooker defends the space between the touchline and the front of the lineout.

Hookers can be many shapes and sizes, but tend to be smaller versions of props, powerfully built, medium to tall.

• lots of muscle is good
• tough is good
• strong is good
• intimidating is good

also

• a muscular neck which is short and thick is good
• no neck at all is excellent
• because of all the pressure and twisting in the scrum

Lower body is important. Flexibility, agility, co-ordination are required to get into position in the scrum to strike at and win the ball

Rugby hooker - in the scrum

The scrum restarts play after rules are broken in a minor way.

It`s a contest for the ball. The non-offending team gets a small advantage.

When a scrum is formed the 8 forwards from each team bind together into a pack of players.

The match official says "crouch, touch, pause, ENGAGE!" and the two opposing packs crash together. The head and necks (if any) of the two front rows mesh together.

Note: a new sequence is being tried, "crouch, touch, SET!". It may eventually be adopted as the way scrums are always formed.

The props in each team take most of the strain and the hooker is right there with them!

The scrum-half puts the ball into the tunnel between the opposing packs.

and the hooker gets it out again using feet only!

The small advantage mentioned above is that the side putting in the ball always gets "the loose head" as well. This means the ball is put in at the left where the loose head prop is.

The result is that when the ball is put in the tunnel the hooker of the non-offending team is nearer the ball than the other hooker and so usually gets the ball.

The hooker "hooks" the ball backwards using only feet and the ball emerges at the back of the scrum.

Rugby hooker - in the line-out

When the ball "goes into touch", a line-out restarts play.

Hookers are not actually in the line-out but play a vital part - they throw the ball in.

Line-outs are frequent in rugby so you must get a good share of possession, especially from your own throw.

The hooker of the non-offending team (the offending team put the ball into touch) throws the ball. They throw it along an imaginary line between the two rows of the line-out to the position where the jumpers are waiting and so the throwing team gets a small advantage (knowing where it`s going)

Important for the hooker are

• good communication with the other forwards
• accurate throwing skills, down the line and correct height/speed
• good observation and timing, the jumpers must be ready!

There is also a defensive role in the line-out. There is a 5-metre gap between the touch-line and the front of the line-out

The rugby hooker must ensure none of the opposition get through that gap.

Rugby hooker - in general play

Hookers vary in size in relation to the other forwards but they are forwards and need to be competitive and take pride in being tough.

Like props, they carry the ball towards the opposing goal-line often against fierce tackling aiming to make progress and tire opponents.

Hookers must co-operate well with other forwards so skills needed are

• mauling
• rucking
• these skills wear down and break opposition defences

Hookers take pride in defensive skills which allow them to use strength and endurance to repel opposition forwards.

Playing hooker is about strength, size, technique, skills, endurance and pride

To get an idea of the size and build of hookers in relation to other positions look at details of elite players on our page player sizes.

And the best rugby hookers if ever asked might agree with me and say learn to sidestep!

Just imagine a metre out from the line - sidestep! Over you go, TRY! You can do it.