Lacrosse vs Rugby: Similarities and Differences
One's played with a stick, the other with your hands. Here's how lacrosse and rugby compare on rules, gear, formats, injuries, scoring and the big tournaments.
Players catch, carry and shoot a small rubber ball with a stick, in full protective gear.
Players carry, pass and kick an oval ball, with constant tackling and minimal padding.
I've been on a mission to break down the differences between some of the most popular contact sports, and now it's time for lacrosse vs rugby. A young fan recently asked me what the difference is between the two.
I gave him a quick answer: in both, you move the ball down the field and try to score.
But in lacrosse, you carry the ball in a stick, while in rugby, you carry it in your hands or kick it.
I realized that answer didn't really capture either sport, so here's a more detailed comparison of rugby vs lacrosse.
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The basics of lacrosse vs rugby
First things first, here are the basics of each sport.
What is lacrosse?
Lacrosse is North America's oldest sport, and it originated with Indigenous nations. You use a stick with a netted head to catch, carry and pass a small rubber ball, and the goal is to shoot it into the other team's net.
What is rugby?
Rugby originated in England in the early 19th century. Players score by carrying the oval ball over the other team's goal line and touching it down for a try, or by kicking it between the goalposts and over the crossbar.
You might not know this, but both sports have deep history and are played around the world.
Both have roots in their cultures: lacrosse in Indigenous ceremony and tradition, and rugby in early English football.
Key gameplay differences between lacrosse and rugby
When you compare lacrosse and rugby on rules and gameplay, the differences are pretty clear.
Lacrosse tends to be more structured, with set plays, substitutions on the fly and stoppages for things like faceoffs and penalties.
Rugby is more continuous. It takes great team coordination and quick decisions.
The table below compares the most important features.
Read more: Rules of lacrosse
Equipment comparison
The equipment in each sport reflects how it's played.
Both are contact sports, but rugby is the more physical of the two.
Lacrosse equipment
Lacrosse players wear helmets, gloves, shoulder and arm pads, and mouthguards to protect against hard shots and stick checks.
You'll also need cleats, shoes with studs built for quick cuts and fast movement on grass and turf.
Rugby equipment
Rugby players wear much less protection. Their gear is mostly limited to a mouthguard, optional soft headgear (a scrum cap) and light padding under the jersey. Rugby relies on tackling technique and physical strength instead of hard pads.
Rugby players wear studded boots for traction on natural or artificial grass.
The table below compares the equipment side by side.
Variations and formats
Both sports have evolved into different formats to fit different places to play and different tastes. I love these variations because they make the games fun for everyone.
Whatever your skill level or style, you can find a version that suits you, which brings more people into the game.
Variations of lacrosse
- Field lacrosse: The outdoor version, with 10 players per side in men's lacrosse (12 in women's), played on a big grass or turf field. See how many players are on a lacrosse team.
- Box lacrosse: Played indoors in a hockey rink with six players per side, including the goalie. It's faster and more physical, and it's the version most kids in Canada, where lacrosse is the national summer sport, grow up playing. Read more about box vs field lacrosse.
- Sixes: A fast, smaller-sided version that's growing worldwide and will be on the Olympic program at the 2028 LA Games.
Variations of rugby
- Rugby union: The most widely played form of rugby, with 15 players per side.
- Rugby league: A 13-a-side version with different tackling and scoring rules.
- Rugby sevens: Like box lacrosse, it's a faster version of the game, with seven players per side, shorter matches and lots of open-field play.
Injury rates
To really understand the difference between the two games, you need to know their physical demands. Both carry real injury risk, but the types of injuries are quite different.
In college men's lacrosse, shoulder injuries happen at a rate of 0.59 per 1,000 athlete exposures (AEs), according to the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine, and they're more common in games than at practice.
Rugby's overall injury rate is higher than in many other contact sports, and a big share of injuries happen in matches (see this research).
The table below compares injury rates and average scoring.
Average scoring
Lacrosse is a high-scoring game. Teams often score 10 or more goals in a game, and each goal counts as one (outside the pro two-point arc).
Rugby scores look bigger on paper, usually somewhere in the 20s or 30s per team depending on the level, because points come in chunks: five for a try, two for a conversion and three for a penalty kick or drop goal.
That mix of tries, conversions and penalties makes rugby scoring a little more complicated.
The table below compares the skills each sport demands and how intense they are.
This isn't about which sport is better. It's about which one fits you.
Major tournaments and events
Both lacrosse and rugby have big events that fans circle on the calendar. Whether you're watching a fast-paced lacrosse game or a hard-hitting rugby match, these are where the best action happens.
Major lacrosse tournaments
- World Lacrosse Championship: Held every four years with national teams from around the globe. It's the pinnacle of international lacrosse.
- NCAA Lacrosse Championship: The premier college tournament in the United States, where the top programs battle for a national title on Memorial Day weekend.
Major rugby tournaments
- Rugby World Cup: The most prestigious event in rugby, held every four years with the best national teams in the world.
- Six Nations Championship: An annual tournament between England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales, known for its rich history and passionate fans.
Lacrosse starter gear
Coach's note: I've coached plenty of kids in Ontario, upstate New York and Virginia Beach who played rugby or football before picking up a stick. They already know how to take a hit and read a field. What they need is reps with the stick. Get a ball, find a wall and put in 15 minutes a day, and they catch up fast.
StickWarrior EVO Complete Stick 2026$109.99 at BattleLax
HelmetCascade CPV-R Helmet$175.00 at BattleLax
GlovesWarrior Evo Rise Glove$64.99 at BattleLax
CleatsNew Balance FreezeLX v5 Low$119.99 at BattleLaxPeople also ask
What is the difference between rugby and lacrosse?
Rugby is a continuous, full-contact sport where players carry, pass or kick an oval ball to score tries and kicks. Lacrosse is played with a stick, and players pass, carry and shoot a small rubber ball into a goal.
What sport is lacrosse most similar to?
Hockey. Like hockey, lacrosse is about passing, shooting and defending a goal with a stick, with lines changing on the fly, but it's played on a field instead of ice. Box lacrosse is even played in hockey rinks.
What sport is lacrosse closest to?
Lacrosse is closest to hockey and soccer. It has hockey's pace and stick skills, and its field layout and team play are a lot like soccer's.
Is lacrosse one of the hardest sports?
It's one of the toughest to master. Lacrosse takes speed, agility, hand-eye coordination, endurance and physical toughness all at once.
Does rugby have more injuries than lacrosse?
Generally, yes. Rugby involves constant tackling with minimal protective gear, which leads to more contact injuries, while lacrosse players wear helmets, gloves and pads.
Lacrosse and rugby are both contact sports, but rugby is the more physical of the two. Lacrosse puts more emphasis on stick skills, strategy and speed, while rugby leans on footwork, tackling and strength. This isn't about which sport is better. If you're about to pick a sport, I hope these differences help you decide which one is the right fit for you.