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Rugby is played on a grass field, although sand and clay are permitted, provided they are not dangerous. A permanently hard surface, such as asphalt and cement, is prohibited. The place where rugby is played is variously referred to as the field of play, the playing field, the rugby field and the pitch.

The players play in the following areas:

The field of play: The area that is in the centre of the ground is the field of play, which measures no more than 100 meters long and no more than 70 meters wide.

The playing area: Encompassing the in-goalareas as well as the field of play is the playing area. The playing area is defined by posts flying flags; the posts are at least 1.2 meters in height.

The in-goal areas: At each end of the playing area are the in-goal areas, which must be between 10 and 22 meters in length and 70 meters in width.
The playing area has numerous lines marked on it, of which the most important are the following:

10 meter line: Two 10 meter lines are marked on the field of play, which are situated 10 meters either side of the halfway line. When a team kicks off, the ball must cross this line for play to continue — in other words, the ball must be kicked at least 10 meters towards the opposing team to allow play to start. If the ball does not travel 10 meters, a scrum is formed in the middle of the field, with the non-offending team getting the scrum feed or put-in.
22 meter line: The field of play has two lines 22 meters out from each try line. Goal kickers attempt to take conversions near these lines.

Dead ball line: The line beyond the in-goal area at each end of the field is called the dead ball line. Once the ball goes over this line it is out of play.

Halfway line: The halfway line marks the centre of the field and is where the game starts. The game is also restarted at the halfway line after successful tries or penalty goals.

Sideline: The two lines marked along the length of the field are called the sidelines. A ball is described as going into touch when it crosses either sideline and goes out of the field of play. The sideline is also called the touch line.

Touch line: The touch line is the same line as the sideline.

Goal-line (Try line): The line at either end of the field of play which a player must cross for his team to successfully score a try is called a try line.

The goalposts
Goalposts are situated at each end of the playing area and must be 5.6 meters apart with a crossbar, the transverse bar between the goalposts that's three meters from the ground. The minimum height of the goalposts is 3.4 meters. As a safety precaution, the goalposts are usually covered with padding to stop players suffering serious injury if they crash into them.