▁sport . ▁Na ism ith ▁played ▁rugby ▁at ▁McG ill ▁University . ▁ ▁Swedish ▁football ▁was ▁a ▁code ▁whose ▁rules ▁were ▁a ▁mix ▁of ▁Association ▁and ▁Rugby ▁football ▁rules . ▁ ▁Rugby ▁l ends ▁its ▁name ▁to ▁wheel ch air ▁rugby , ▁a ▁full - contact ▁sport ▁which ▁contains ▁elements ▁of ▁rugby ▁such ▁as ▁crossing ▁a ▁try ▁line ▁with ▁the ▁ball ▁to ▁score . ▁ ▁Statistics ▁and ▁records ▁ ▁According ▁to ▁a ▁ 2 0 1 1 ▁report ▁by ▁the ▁Centre ▁for ▁the ▁International ▁Business ▁of ▁Sport , ▁over ▁four ▁and ▁a ▁half ▁million ▁people ▁play ▁rugby ▁union ▁or ▁one ▁of ▁its ▁variants ▁organ ised ▁by ▁the ▁IR B . ▁This ▁is ▁an ▁increase ▁of ▁ 1 9 ▁percent ▁since ▁the ▁previous ▁report ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 7 . ▁The ▁report ▁also ▁claimed ▁that ▁since ▁ 2 0 0 7 ▁participation ▁has ▁grown ▁by ▁ 3 3 ▁percent ▁in ▁Africa , ▁ 2 2 ▁percent ▁in ▁South ▁America ▁and ▁ 1 8 ▁percent ▁in ▁Asia ▁and ▁North ▁America . ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 4 ▁the ▁IR B ▁published ▁a ▁break down ▁of ▁the ▁total ▁number ▁of ▁players ▁world wide ▁by ▁national ▁un ions . ▁It ▁recorded ▁a ▁total ▁of ▁ 6 . 6   mill ion ▁players ▁glob ally , ▁of ▁those , ▁ 2 . 3 6   mill ion ▁were ▁registered ▁members ▁playing ▁for ▁a ▁club ▁affili ated ▁to ▁their ▁country ' s ▁union . ▁The ▁ 2 0 1 6 ▁World ▁Rugby ▁Year ▁in ▁Review ▁reported ▁ 8