Scrum half (Halfback) - Position Guide
The scrum half is the heartbeat of a rugby union team. Responsible for making decisions, linking play, throwing key passes and kicking accurately, the rugby scrum half must have a wide skill set that they can execute to perfection.
Generally one of the smallest players on the pitch, anyone who plays at the scrum half position must have an excellent rugby brain and an uncanny ability to execute their skills perfectly under pressure.
Think you have what it takes to play as a rugby scrum half? In this guide, you’ll find everything you could possibly need to know about the position and the skills that are required.
What is a scrum half?
The scrum half operates as a link between the forwards and the backs.
No player dictates how a game is managed as much as the scrum half does. This is because anyone in the scrum half position must not only have a rounded technical skill set, but they must also make the right decision every time.
Most known for their passing game, rugby scrum halves must also be able to control territory with their kicks and provide exceptional support play.
Due to their slight size and build (compared to some of the larger players on the pitch anyway), a scrum half must also possess large amounts of acceleration and speed, so they can evade tackles.
Other names for a scrum half
Around the world, some rugby positions are known by different names. This is the case with the scrum half, who is often known as the half back in the southern hemisphere.
What number is a scrum half?
Players on a rugby union team wear numbers 1-15. Unlike in other sports (such as football/soccer) where a player can choose whichever number they like, a player on a rugby team must wear the number that corresponds to their position. For this reason, the player in the scrum half position always wears the number nine shirt.
What is the average size of a scrum half?
Although this isn’t always the case, the scrum half is often the smallest player on the pitch. That said, the size and weight of the scrum half often has little bearing on how effective the player is at executing their roles and responsibilities.
An incredibly skill-based role, the height of the scrum half is particularly irrelevant. For example, at the elite level of the game you get short scrum halves like Faf de Klerk, who is 1.7m tall, and much taller scrum halves like Conor Murray, who is 1.88m tall.
On average, the weight of a professional scrum half is around 85kg (187lbs). Although the scrum half is one of the smallest players on the pitch, they must still pack a punch. After all, opposition forwards will try to knock a scrum half over as they try to distribute the ball from the base of rucks, scrums and mauls. If a scrum half has a bit of weight and power behind them, then they will find it easier to stand up to this challenge.
What is the scrum half’s role?
The role of the scrum half is incredibly varied. As they’re the link between the forwards and the backs, they play an important role at set pieces. But, players in the scrum half position are also used as ball handlers, kickers and support players. With this in mind, let’s take a look at the role of the scrum half in greater detail.
What is the scrum half’s role in scrums?
When a scrum is formed, the 8 forwards from each team bind together to form their own pack. The two packs then oppose each other by binding together, head to head with a tunnel between the two packs.
At this stage, the scrum half of the team that did not commit the penalty puts the ball into their scrum. If the scrum is executed correctly, their side’s hooker will strike the ball backwards and the ball will move through the scrum towards the feet of the number 8.
Once the number 8 has the ball, the scrum half can then launch a quick attack on their own, combine with the number 8, kick tactically, or whip the ball out to the backs.
Although the team will usually decide what they want to do if they win the ball before the scrum is formed, the scrum itself may not go to plan. As a result, the scrum half may be required to make a decision based on the play in front of them.
While all this is happening, the scrum half of the team that conceded the penalty also has a role to play. They must harass their opposite number and provide defensive cover.
What is the scrum half’s role in lineouts?
Lineouts occur when play is restarted at the touchline. The scrum half is required to take the ball from the person who caught it in the air. Once the ball is gathered, the scrum half can then pass the ball to the backs, who can launch an attack.
However, lineouts can be messy. Often, the ball is fumbled or deflected towards a scrum half. This means that the scrum half must remain calm under pressure and have exceptional hands.
What is the scrum half’s role in open play?
Overall, a scrum half must be an excellent decision maker. It’s usually their job to decide whether to pass the ball straight out to the fly half, box kick the ball, pick and go themselves, or pop the ball away to a forward on a short pass.
In open play, the scrum half must act as the team’s chief distributor and hit moving targets with supreme accuracy.
As the team’s best passer, they must have complete control over the weight of their passes and must be equally as good passing the ball in both directions.On top of this, the scrum half must help their team win the territorial battle.
To do this, a scrum half must be able to kick accurately from behind rucks and mauls (these are known as box kicks). Generally speaking, a scrum half will be asked to make two types of kicks:
Clearance kicks: With these kicks, the objective is to kick the ball either deep into touch or between the two lines of defence towards the blindside. These kicks are usually done when a team is in their own 22-metre area and they’re looking to relieve pressure.
Contestable kicks: The aim of these kicks is to regather possession further up the field. As a result, the scrum half must kick the ball high up into the air (as well as forwards) and generate hang time. This way, their team’s wingers can run and contest for the ball before it drops into the arms of the opposition.
Although the scrum half takes on responsibility for kicking and distribution, they cannot neglect their tackling and defensive responsibilities. As one of the smallest players on the pitch, the scrum half must look to make tackles before the opposition players begin to move, so they can negate their opponent’s size advantage.
The final role of the scrum half in open play is game management. A scrum half is like a general on the pitch, and they must work together with the fly half to ensure the team can attack effectively. Due to this, a scrum half must have an excellent rugby brain and must be able to see the play as it unfolds before them.
Notable scrum halves
Due to their prominence on the field, some of the world’s most recognisable players have featured at the scrum half position.
As part of our recent RugbyPass Hall of Fame fan vote, we asked our readers who they thought was the greatest ever scrum half to play the game. Overall, they almost unanimously told us that All Blacks legend Aaron Smith was the game’s greatest scrum half. He received more than twice as many votes as Fourie du Preez and Joost van der Westhuizen.
FAQs
So, now you know the basics of playing at the scrum half position. If you fancy learning even more about how a scrum half plays and trains, then read our FAQs below.
Do scrum halves kick?
Yes. Although the fly half will take almost all of the kicks from the kicking tee for penalties and conversions, the scrum half is often asked to kick when the ball is in open play.
Scrum halves can choose to kick for touch when their team is under pressure, box kick for territory or send the ball high into the air so their teammates can contest for possession further up the field.
How far does a scrum half run in a game?
Scrum halves are incredibly hard working players who are involved in almost every phase of play. As a result, the demands of the position are exacting. While front row players generally only cover 4.5km of ground during a rugby match, a scrum half will usually run further than all their teammates, and it’s not uncommon for an elite scrum half to run 7km during a game.
What does a scrum half work on in the gym?
Although they don’t need to be as strong and powerful as the forwards, scrum halves must still be muscular and physical players. But, as well as working on building lean muscle, scrum halves must also work on their running ability so they can cover more ground during a game.
When working on building muscle, a scrum half should focus on their shoulders and core. Plus, leg strength also needs attention because stability is required for digging balls out of rucks.
To build these muscles, try the following exercises:
- Overhead presses
- Squats
- Bench-press
- Lunges
- Deadlifts
Of course, to compete in club rugby, nobody is expecting you to be as quick and strong as Faf de Klerk or Conor Murray. However, using these players as benchmarks can give you something to aspire to. With this in mind, at the elite level, a top level scrum half must be able to:
- Squat 1.3x their bodyweight
- Bench-press 1.3x their bodyweight
- Run 3km in 11 mins 15 seconds
- Sprint 40m in less than 5.25 seconds
Comments on RugbyPass
Wow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
1 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
13 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
1 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to commentsWhat a player! Not long until he’s in the England side, surely?
1 Go to commentsHe seems to have the same aura as Marcus Smith - by which I mean he’s consistently judged as if he’s several years younger than he actually is. Mngomezulu has played 24 times for the Stormers. When Pollard was his age he had played 24 times for South Africa! He has more time to develop, but he has also had time to do some developing already, and he hasn’t demonstrated nearly as much talent in that time as one would expect. If he is a generational talent, then it must be a pretty poor generation.
4 Go to commentsThe greatest Springbok coach of all time is entirely on the money. Rassie and Jacques have given the south african public a great few years, but the success of the springbok selection policy will need to be judged in light of what comes next. The poor condition that the provincial system is currently in doesn’t bode well for the next few years of international rugby, and the insane 2026 schedule that the Boks have lined up could also really harm both provincial and international consistency.
16 Go to commentsJake White is a brilliant coach and a master in the press. This is another masterclass in media relations and PR but its also a very narrow view with arguments that dont always hold water. White wants his team to win, he wants the best players in SA and wants his team competitive. You however have to face up to the reality of a poor exchange rate and big clubs with big budgets. SA Rugby cant compete and unless it can find more money SA players will keep leaving regardless of Springbok eligibility and this happened in 2015 - 2017. Also rugby is not cricket. Cricket has 3 formats and T20 cricket is where the money is at. When it comes to club vs country the IPL is king but that wont happen because the international calendar does not clash with the club calendar in rugby. So the argument about rugby going down the same path as cricket is really a non-starter
16 Go to commentsNZ rugby seem not to have learnt anything from professional rugby. Super rugby was dying and SA left before they died with the competition. SA rugby did a u turn on their approach to international players playing overseas and such players are now selected for Bok teams. As much as each country would love to retain their players playing in local competitions, this is the way the world is evolving my friends. Move with it or stay 20 years behind the times. One more thing. NZ rugby hierarchy think they are the big cheese. Take a more humble approach guys. You do not seem to have your players best interests at heart.
3 Go to commentsBeaches? In Cardiff? Where?
1 Go to commentsHe is right , the Crusaders will be a threat. Scott Barrett, ( particularly), Fergus Burke , Codie Taylor, ( from sabbatical) etc due back soon for the Crusaders. There are others like Zach Gallagher too. People can right the Crusaders off, Top 8 , here we come !!
1 Go to commentsWe will always struggle for money to match the other sides but the least the WRU can do is invest properly in Welsh rugby. Too much has been squandered on vanity projects like the hotel and roof walk amongst others which will never see a massive return. Hanging the 4 pro sides out to dry over the last decade is now coming back to bite the WRU financially as well as on the pitch. You reap what you sow.
1 Go to commentsWhat do you get if you cross a doctor with a fish? A plastic sturgeon
14 Go to commentsWhat happened to feleti Kaitu’u? Hasnt played in a while right?
1 Go to commentsGregor I just can’t agree with you. You are trying to find something that just isn’t there. Jordie Barrett has signed until 2028. By the end of that he would have spent probably 11-12 years on Super Rugby and you say he can’t possibly have one season playing somewhere else. It is absurd. What about this scenario, the NZR play hard ball and he decides to leave and play overseas. How would that affect the competition. There seems to be an agenda by certain journalists to push certain agendas and don’t like it when it’s not to their liking. I fully support the NZR on this. Gregor needs to get a life.
3 Go to commentsHope he stays as believe he can do a great job.
1 Go to commentsMake what step up? Manie has a World Cup winner’s medal around his neck and changed the way the Springboks can play. He doesn’t have anything to prove to anyone. The win record of the Boks with him in the team is tremendous. Sacha can be wonderful and I hope he has a very succesful Bok career, but comparing him to Manie in terms of the next Bok flyhalf is very strange. Manie is the incumbent (not the next) and doing pretty incredibly.
4 Go to comments00 😍 U
1 Go to commentsSabbaticals have helped keep NZ’s very best talent in the country on long term deals - this fact has been left out of this article. Much like the articles calling to allow overseas players to be selected, yet can only name one player currently not signed to NZR who would be selected for the ABs. And in the entire history of NZ players leaving to play overseas, literally only 4 or 5 have left in their prime as current ABs. (Piatau, Evans, Hayman, Mo’unga,?) Yes Carter got an injury while playing in France 16 years ago, but he also got a tournament ending injury at the 2011 World Cup while taking mid-week practice kicks at goal. Maybe Jordie gets a season-ending injury while playing in Ireland, maybe he gets one next week against the Brumbies. NZR have many shortcomings, but keeping the very best players in the country and/or available for ABs selection is not one of them. Likewise for workload management - players missing 2 games out of 14 is hardly a big deal in the grand scheme of things. Again let’s use some facts - did it stop the Crusaders winning SR so many times consecutively when during any given week they would be missing 2 of their best players? The whole idea of the sabbatical is to reward your best players who are willing to sign very long term deals with some time to do whatever they want. They are not handed out willy-nilly, and at nowhere near the levels that would somehow devalue Super Rugby. In this particular example JB is locked in with NZR for what will probably (hopefully) be the best years of his career, hard to imagine him not sticking around for a couple more after for a Lions tour and one more world cup. He has the potential to become the most capped AB of all time. A much better outcome than him leaving NZ for a minimum of 3 years at the age of 27, unlikely to ever play for the ABs again, which would be the likely alternative.
3 Go to commentsJake White talks more sense than anything I've read in the last 5 years. Hope someone's listening.
16 Go to comments