The Six Nations: Six oddball rugby phrases

Do you know your Garryowen from your grubber kick? As the 2025 Six Nations Championship begins, Realwords founder (and belated rugby player) Lee Graham investigates some of the more curious rugby terminology

NO, THAT’S NOT A UFO ABOVE NORTH LONDON… LEE REALLY DID A CROSSBAR KICK

Mid-life crises come in many forms. For me, when I reached 40, I wanted to prove to myself and the world that I was still as physically capable as the next man. So I politely returned the pipe and slippers I’d received as a birthday gift and used the money to buy some rugby boots instead. 

Rugby was quite beyond anything I’d done before. Aside from a very brief fling I had with the sport in my teens, my choice of exercise had always been comparatively genteel – think a quick game of badminton as a ruse to buy a Mars bar from the sports centre café, or simply trying to walk a bit faster on my way home from the chip shop.

So I joined my local rugby club and started training with them every Wednesday. I really enjoyed the full-on exercise (I’ll spare you the pictures of the ice packs on my shoulders), camaraderie and sense of achievement I got from trying something new.

My advice to anyone – whatever your age, gender, body shape or level of fitness – is to give rugby a go. Clubs around the UK are always looking for new players and, in my experience, typically very welcoming. What’s more, as safety has become more of a consideration in recent years (leading to controversial rule changes in some cases), rugby has shed its image as a game solely for “muddied oafs” (the words of Rudyard Kipling) built like steam trains.

As a language-lover, I was keen to discover more about some of the rugby jargon I came across. Here are six of those I found most intriguing. Keep your cauliflower ear out for these terms as you enjoy all the Six Nations action over the coming weeks.

Alickadoo
Definition: A non-playing member of a rugby club who helps to run the club, usually on match days.

The origin of the phrase is disputed. Some attribute it to 1920s Irish captain Ernie Crawford, who reportedly remarked on a book being read by a teammate: “You and your bloody Ali Khadu!” Others believe it to be a malapropism from “It’s all I can do.”

Dummy runner
Definition: A player who runs an attacking line for a pass but does not receive the ball.

The player’s intention is to fool the defending team into thinking they will receive the pass, but the ball may be passed to another player or not passed at all.

Garryowen
Definition: A high kick forward, followed by a charge to the place where the ball lands.

This tactic is designed to put pressure on the opposing team by disrupting their defence and allowing the attacking team time to get to the ball further up the pitch. It was popularised in the 1920s by Garryowen RFC, a Limerick side who currently play in Division 1A of the All-Ireland League.

Goosestep
Definition: A running technique that involves slowing down, hopping and then sprinting off in a different direction.

Here’s a demonstration from England rugby player Marcus Smith:

Grubber kick
Definition: A move in which the player deliberately kicks the ball low along the ground, causing it to bounce unpredictably.

This makes it difficult for the defending team to pick up the ball cleanly, giving the attacking team the opportunity to chase and potentially gain possession. “Grubber” comes from “to grub,” colloquially meaning to dig or root around in the ground. According to the OED, the earliest known use of the term is in the 1950s.

Wooden spoon
Definition: A metaphorical award given to the team that finishes in last place in the Six Nations Championship.

Italy have won more wooden spoons than any other nation: they finished bottom of the table 18 times between 2000 and 2023. In 2024, Wales won their first wooden spoon in 21 years. Fans of The Dragons will be hoping it was their last!