On Nov. 3, Marymoor Park offered a full day of rugby to spectators, beginning with Panthers Youth Rugby, and followed by a game between two premier women’s rugby teams, the Seattle Saracens Women and the Burnaby Lake Women from British Columbia.

There was also the match between the women’s teams from the University of Washington and Western Oregon University; a match between Eastside Axemen and Budd Bay Buffaloes; and finally, the Babboni Rugby Cup match between Valley Kangaroos and Chuckanut.

All youth in Redmond and on the Eastside are invited to take part in the upcoming rugby season, which runs from January through June. For more information and to register, visit www.PanthersYouthRugby.com. The club will hold an information session for 7th to 12th graders interested in rugby at 10 a.m. Dec. 8 at the Tam O’ Shanter golf club house in north Bellevue.

Here’s some rugby basics:

Each team has 15 players on the field for two 40-minute halves. Every player has the opportunity to run with the ball, pass the ball and, of course, score. Players score when a player places the ball on the ground over the opposition’s goal line. This gives the team five points, and they then have the opportunity to kick the ball over the post which gives an additional two points.

The four values of rugby are integrity, passion, discipline and solidarity. Rugby is complementary to football, wrestling and soccer. The nature of the game means teaching safe tackling techniques, which is imperative.

The Panthers Youth Rugby Club is affiliated with Washington Youth Rugby and is a nonprofit organization managed by people from many different countries, including Australia, France, New Zealand, South Africa and the United Kingdom. Teams are co-ed until sixth grade, and contact rugby starts at the fifth-grade level. Coaches are certified by Rugby USA.