Rugby
How Many Substitutes Are Allowed in Rugby? A Detailed Guide
Different sports have different numbers of substitutes. Rugby Union has fifteen starting players, but how many substitutes are there in rugby? Find out here!
Eben Etzebeth with the Webb Ellis Cup//Getty Images
There are eight substitutes allowed in rugby union. Fifteen players start in the run-on team, eight sit on the bench. This is double the number of subs used in rugby league, and three more than in association football. The number of substitutes can vary at school and amateur rugby, but in senior and professional rugby, eight substitutes are allowed. SportsBoom looks at the greatest use of substitutes in rugby history.
The Greatest Substitutes in Rugby History
In association football, super subs make an impact off the bench to bail their team out of a jam. Rugby union also has its version of ‘super subs’ but not in the same way as football. Rugby uses substitutes differently. Many rugby players have had an impact off the bench, but no team has used the eight collective reserves like the back-to-back Rugby World Cup (RWC) reigning champion Springboks.
No team in the world has eight substitutes that make an impact like South Africa has. The greatest substitutes in rugby history are South Africa’s famed “Bomb Squad”. The Bomb Squad is South Africa’s secret weapon; however, they are not a secret, every team knows what is coming, and they cannot stop the carnage caused by the Boks’ destructive bench.
Erasmus’ use of social media saw him banned for criticising officials. However, Erasmus is unmatched in rugby as a coach. His daring on-field innovations in the set pieces has changed rugby, but nothing compares to his fabled Bomb Squad. The Boks’ use of forwards off the bench has caused controversy because other countries cannot stop the powerful Springboks forwards. Put on the Bomb Squad and watch them detonate and blow up the opposition.
Image Credits: Michael Steele - World Rugby/World Rugby via Getty Images
Positions in Rugby Union
| Forwards / Backs | Rugby Union Positions: Names & Shirt Numbers |
| Front Row Forwards | Loosehead Prop (1) Hooker (2) Tighthead prop (3) |
| Second Row | Locks / Second Row (4 & 5) |
| Loose Forwards / Back Row | *Blindside Flanker (6), *Openside flanker (7) No. 8/Eighth Man/Number Eight/ (8) |
| Half-backs | Half-back / Scrum-half (9) |
| First Five-eighth / Fly-half (10) | |
| Midfield / Centres | Inside Centre / Second Five-eighth (12) Outside Centre (13) |
| Wings | Left Wing (11) / Right Wing (14) |
| Fullback | Fullback (15) |
What is the Bomb Squad?
Director of South African Rugby and Head Coach Rassie Erasmus first employed the Bomb Squad at the 2019 Rugby World Cup. It has since taken on cult-like status, but it is not without its controversy. The Bomb Squad is the term South Africa used for their forwards coming off the bench in the second half.
Since eight forwards were allowed on the bench, almost every team selected five forwards and three backs in what is known as a 5-3 split. Three front-row replacements are non-negotiable due to the dangers of the props and hooker positions, particularly the tighthead prop. The other two forwards cover the locks and back-row. The three backs cover scrumhalf, and two playmakers (utility backs).
Erasmus and assistant coach Jacques Nienaber began using a 6-2 split. The idea was for forward-dominated substitutes to come on in the second half and overwhelm the tired opposition through brute force. What makes the tactic genius is the deployment of the substitutes at the same time instead of staggering the replacements.
South Africa captain, raises the Webb Ellis Cup//Getty Images
Up until 2019, no team had ever used all – or most – of their subs at the same time; it was unheard of. South Africa generally swapped the entire front-row sometimes tight-five, simultaneously. These changes often occur three to five minutes after halftime. Sometimes the coaching staff made the subs before halftime to gain or change the momentum in the Boks' favour.
The tactic became the Boks’ greatest strength, leading them to The Rugby Championship and World Cup titles in 2019. Moreover, they began to refine the roles of the bench. South Africa made sure there are always utility backs who can cover multiple specialist positions (scrumhalf, flyhalf, full back), and utility players who can cover different forward positions (lock, flank, No. 8), or even forwards who can play in the backline.
The Bomb Squad revolutionised rugby. Most teams with powerful forward packs have begun using the 6-2 split, but none do it as well as the Springboks. Head Coach Nienaber went further, using a 7-1 split in the 2023 Qatar Airways Cup against the revered All Blacks, the RWC Pool game versus Ireland, and the World Cup final versus the Kiwis.
No other team has used the 7-1 split; they haven't the personnel or the stones to use the tactic effectively. The controversy saw many sour pundits from around the globe calling for the tactic to be outlawed. South Africa’s scrum is so powerful, that WR changed the scrum laws after the 2023 World Cup because of the Boks’ scrum dominance.
Famous Bomb Squad Moments
There are many instances of the Springboks bench coming on and turning a lost cause into a win, or a close match into a comfortable victory. Strangely enough, the only time the Bomb Squad does not have an effect is when several injuries occur to the starting XV forwards early in the game. This doesn’t happen often.
It is tough to choose the Bomb Squad’s many greatest hits because they always have an impact, and often see the Springboks over the line. However, SportsBoom has compiled a list of destructive moments that won South Africa a hoard of silverware and made them one of the greatest rugby teams assembled.
2019 Rugby World Cup Final: England 12-32 South Africa, Yokohama, Japan
As Ox Nche says: “Salads do not win scrums!” The Test match that showed the world South Africa meant business. From the first whistle, the brute physicality of the Springboks scrum was too much for England’s feeble forward pack to handle. The most iconic moment in tight-five history was when the Boks scrummed and mauled the Red Roses into submission to claim a third Rugby World Cup title in Yokohama, Japan. The front row dismantled the opposition.
England conceded penalties and free kicks at every turn as the Boks turned the screw. Eventually, the English resistance broke. In the second half, the springboks increased the intensity and tempo, running in two tries to thrash England by a record RWC final scoreline. It was a humiliating defeat for England, especially after the way some of their forwards behaved during press conferences in the build-up to the game.
South Africa v Ireland - Summer Tour//Getty Images
2023 Qatar Airways Cup: New Zealand 7-35 South Africa, Twickenham, London
The match that caused the most controversy was the game where South Africa signalled their intent to use brute forward power to defend their 2019 RWC title in France in 2023. South Africa played New Zealand at Twickenham, London, in the first-ever Qatar Airways Cup before the teams left for France.
Nienaber and Erasmus selected a 7-1 split on the bench, which blew up the internet and infuriated pundits and players, past and present. Nienaber chose seven forwards and one backline player, something no coach had ever done before. It was a risk because there was only one substitute for a back. However, South Africa’s versatility allowed the coaching staff to use Sevens Rugby specialist Kwagga Smith as an alternate utility back replacement. Erasmus’ tactics worked a treat as the Boks thumped the All Blacks by a record score.
The Springboks destroyed New Zealand. Rugby Pass, the controversial rugby website owned by World Rugby (WR), has often been critical of Erasmus and Nienaber’s forward dominated game-plan and tactics. However, they took notice of this tactical masterclass. They described the Boks’ performance as “dominant as they have been since their dismantling of England in the 2019 World Cup final.
“If they play like that in the coming months, no one will beat them.” Only Ireland beat the Boks at the 2023 RWC, but it was a close contest. However, the Boks regrouped and defended their crown. South Africa used their Bomb Squad to win their quarter- and semi-final matches against France and England, respectively. Conversely, the Springboks used their eight substitutions to hold on for a 12-11 victory in a tight, tense final against the All Blacks.
Kaylan Geekie is a sports fanatic. He attended Durban High School before moving to Scotland, where he lived for 15 years. During his time in the United Kingdom, Kaylan graduated with a first-class BA Honours Degree in Sports Journalism at the University of the West of Scotland. Kaylan worked for nine years as the Match-Day Editor of SuperXV.com, reporting on Super Rugby, The Rugby Championship, the 2015 Men's Rugby World Cup and the 2017 British & Irish Lions series for the website.