Who owns the word "ruck"?

Hey there, Rugby Rioter!

Here’s what we’ve got dished up for you this week!

• Granite Bay has this gem posted on their website poking fun at backs. Apparently it’s an old British humor piece - we found it amusing.

• There’s a new tournament coming to town - Bozeman MT to be precise. Goff made the announcement here. It’s great to see new tournaments springing up around the country!

• Yo Mr. Scrum-Half, ditch Netflix this evening and watch these games instead.

And finally, where does the word “ruck” come from and does it only belong to rugby? Scroll down to see what we found out 👇

Think you know rugby? Prove it!

Ruck.

Type that word into google and you’ll end up with two different results: Hiking (with a weighted pack), and of course, rugby.

So we got curious; which activity can claim ownership over the word “ruck”? The short answer…both..kinda. Here’s what we discovered:

Entymology (fancy for the history of a word.):

The word "ruck" traces its origins to the Old English "hrūkan," meaning "to heap up" or "to curl up," which was in use before 900 CE. This term is part of a broader Germanic language family, sharing roots with Old Norse "hrúga" (heap), Middle Dutch "roken" (to squat, crouch), Norwegian "ruke" (heap), and Swedish "ruka" (heap), all likely stemming from a common Proto-Germanic root "hrukōn."

Alrighty then, I’m not seeing anything about backpacks or hiking in there.

Rugby 1 - Hiking 0

Use in Culture:

The term "ruck" has been used in rugby since the late 19th century. It first appeared in the laws of the game in 1893 (very hard to find a source for this date), describing the formation of players around the ball on the ground after a tackle. This usage directly relates to the word's original meaning of "heaping up" and has been an integral part of rugby's vocabulary for well over a century.

The hiking-related use of "ruck" came later and follows a different etymological path. It's derived from "rucksack," a term borrowed from German in the early 20th century (first recorded in English around 1902), combining "Rücken" (back) and "Sack" (bag). The verb "to ruck," meaning to hike with a weighted backpack, gained popularity first in military contexts in the mid-20th century, particularly after World War II. It entered broader civilian use as a fitness activity in the late 20th and early 21st centuries.

Well that settles it. Rugby was first.

Rugby 2 - Hiking 0

Ruck = RUGBY

Well gang, that’s a wrap for this week!

Stay tuned for next week as we bring you more interviews, highlights, and insights from high school rugby around the USA.

-The Rugby Riot Team