Britons baffled by rugby rules says World Cup sponsor - video

With the Rugby World Cup just a few days away a survey has found that many Britons remain baffled by the rules of the game.

According to sponsors Samsung, seven out of ten fans planning to watch games don't know how many points a try is worth and cannot name a single member of the England squad.

More than 40 per cent were unsure of how long the game lasts, and were unaware that the ball had to be passed backwards, reports BT.com.

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Most confusing of all was the offside rule, which proved even more of a challenge that its equivalent in football. Almost 90 per cent of those surveyed did not understand the complexities of the rule, which governs which players can handle the ball and tackle.

There were some oddities in the survey. Given the other results it comes a major surprise that more people apparently understood the role of the hooker than knew that the ball had to be passed backwards.

Samsung claims that only 23 per cent of people were unaware of what the hooker (the front row forward who 'hooks' the ball back during a scrum) does.

The survey coincides with the release of a series of Samsung-sponsored tutorials starring comedian Jack Whitehall and members of the English World Cup-winning team of 2003, including Lawrence Dallaglio and Martin Johnson.

The technology company told Marketing magazine that the clips should appeal to would-be rugby fans who find the game and its rules "insular".