A side has eight forwards in rugby union play. They wear jersey numbers 1 through 8 and form the team’s forward pack, while the remaining seven players are backs numbered 9 through 15.
The forwards are arranged in three scrum rows. The front row contains two props and a hooker. Behind them are two locks, followed by the back row: two flankers and the number eight. Together, these eight players contest scrums and usually carry much of the work at rucks, mauls, tackles, and line-outs.
The number eight is a forward even though the position is numbered separately from the two flankers. This can cause confusion because “forwards” sometimes refers informally to the larger players near the scrum rather than to a precise number. Rugby union’s 15-player structure is also different from rugby sevens, which uses three forwards and four backs. Rugby league generally uses 13 players and has six forwards and seven backs.