Image by Flickr user royskeaneImage by 20080725rugby.jpg This is a "scrum." The Charleston Outlaws hope to help you learn what that is.

Charleston's local rugby team, the Charleston Outlaws, are hoping to bring some attention to area rugby teams by drawing the big ticket Michelin Challenge Rugby to South Carolina for the first time.

And they got the game to come, top French rugby team ASM Clermont-Auvergne will play the U.S. national rugby team the USA Eagles on August 9.

The BBC has a solid primer on the sport, here's an excerpt:
The aim of the game is very simple - use the ball to score more points than the other team.

You can run with the ball, kick it and pass it, but passing forwards is not allowed.

Rugby union is a contact sport, so you can tackle an opponent in order to get the ball, as long as you stay within the rules.

Also, The Post and Courier has an excellent write-up of the local Charleston Rugby team, saying:
The Outlaws have been highly competitive on the national club scene, qualifying for the national club championship tournament five of the past seven years, reaching the sweet 16 three times, the elite eight twice and the final four once.

You can buy tickets at the Charleston Battery's Web site, prices range from $20 to $50.

Update July 25: Brief on the rules of rugby were updated to match union rules. The first version erroneously talked about rugby league rules. Read up on the difference, here.