Etymology. The 1903 All Black captain, Jimmy Duncan, is credited with coining the name five-eighths when he decided to take a player from the forwards to add to the backs. ... The outside half-back, now known as the outhalf or fly-half, became the first five-eighths in New Zealand under the two five-eighths system.

Why is it called 5 8th?

Of the two half backs, the name "scrum half" was given to the one which was involved in the scrum by feeding the ball into it and the name "stand-off half" was given to the one which stood off to the side of the scrum. In Britain, where rugby league originated, this terminology has been retained.

Why is a try in rugby called a try?

A try is a way of scoring points in rugby union and rugby league football. ... The term "try" comes from "try at goal", signifying that grounding the ball originally only gave the attacking team the opportunity to try to score with a kick at goal.