Which rugby union position traditionally wears jersey number 9?

The scrum-half traditionally wears jersey number 9 in rugby union.

The scrum-half links the forwards and backs. At scrums, the player normally feeds the ball into the tunnel and often retrieves it after the scrum has secured possession. In open play, the scrum-half commonly passes from the base of rucks, mauls and scrums to the fly-half or another back.

Numbering conventions developed alongside rugby’s positional structure. The scrum-half is paired with the number 10 fly-half, creating the team’s traditional half-back partnership. Famous number nines include Gareth Edwards of Wales, Joost van der Westhuizen of South Africa and New Zealand’s Aaron Smith.

A shirt number identifies a traditional position, not an unbreakable rule about where a player may move. Modern rugby is fluid, and substitutions, tactical switches and set-piece variations can change responsibilities. The scrum-half is also different from the hooker, who wears number 2 and throws the ball at line-outs while playing in the front row of the scrum.