How far apart are the upright goals in rugby?

How far apart are the upright goals in rugby? They are 18.5 feet apart. In modern rugby union terminology, World Rugby specifies a distance of 5.6 metres between the uprights, which converts to about 18 feet 4 inches and is commonly rounded or quoted as 18.5 feet.

The uprights sit on the goal line at the centre of each in-goal area and are joined by a crossbar 3 metres above the ground. Together, the two uprights and crossbar form rugby’s distinctive H-shaped goal. The uprights must extend at least 3.4 metres above the crossbar, although professional grounds usually use much taller posts.

A common mix-up is confusing the uprights’ width with the height of the crossbar. The 18.5-foot figure describes the horizontal gap between the inside edges or centres specified by the relevant measurement convention, while the crossbar height is roughly 9 feet 10 inches. Rugby league uses a slightly different goal width, generally 5.5 metres, so the code matters.