Do you think american football players could take the harsh sport of rugby?

Question

i stayed in rugby for two weeks ,we visited the museum. i hate i didnt get a chance to go to a game, it has to be tense

one of my teachers made a funny comment on how you can tell if someone played rugby

they had long ears and their nose wouid be bent to the side.

Answer 1

We have rugby in America. Most people think we can't handle it, but we can handle a lot more than people think. I know a girl who's pretty hardcore.

Answer 2

No. They would be to worried about getting hurt with out all the girly pads.

They may have the big hits but lack the skill, stamina and ball handling ability required to play rugby.

Answer 3

There was a comparison done between League, rugby and American grid iron. The results were and this was coming from players and coaching staff that Rugby was the hardiest game to play mentally and physically, as it demanded more from the player and was more fluent with less stop ages compared too the other two. grid Iron is based around two teams per side an offensive team and a defensive team,  cant they play both offensive & defensive?

Rugby to league converts have been noted I know a few off the topp off my head that were great All blacks making the change, Mathew Ridge, JK. Even Jonah Loma was offered millions by the Dallas Cowboys to change codes. I see and read about more rugby stars offered carriers in the other 2 sports then vice versa, why is that? well for one its the depth off skill a rugby player has, league only have to run a ball straight and there back line gets the ball maybe twice from one set off six.

  Wouldnt it be so much easier if you could apply grid iron rules to rugby and league having two different offensive & defensive teams. Meh nope sorrry wouldnt be a good idea then the game wouldnt be 80mins long probably a whole day especially with the amount off stopages in american grid iron.

Grid Iron players considered rugby to be a more violent sport due to the lack of padding. With the ever changing rules around rugby are we seeing a much more subtle rugby game emerging?

Whats worse a 200+ Lb grid iron player exerting force on you or a scummaging pack exerting over 1000+ Ibs, Ive also played all three sports 2 at rep side level and say that rugby is a more demanding sport.

Answer 4

Yes they could, they would just have to adapt to a different sport albeit just as physical. There are different skills involved and the type of athleticism is different it is more of a stamina game than out and out power as in NFL.

Also in rugby you have to be good at passing the ball and defence & attack, well for rugby league anyway.

Aussie54 are you dreaming, Union more demanding than league!!! dont make me laugh half of the fat baffoons in Union wouldn't last 20minutes in a league game without blowing up. As for no league players playing union successfully maybe you should look at the fact that no top players want to play an old mans game and union banned anyone who played league for over 100years so get your facts right Dingo S**t.

At least the NFL back field defence plus the Running backs, full backs & wide receivers could make the transition relatively easy but would need to adapt their physical conditioning so you dont know S**t do you

Answer 5

No they cant take the punch. They wear way too much padding and only get soft tackles.

Answer 6

yeah probably, well the linebackers could, im not sure about the QB tho...

Answer 7

LOL of couse they could even soccer players could handle player it. Rugby is 4 sissys, its slow,soft and painfully boring 2 watch. The only thing NFL players would find hard about it is 2 get used 2 the bullshi.t rules. Rugby league on the other hand they would find hard. Fittness and physical wise and the speed of the game

Aussie54thats a joke right?  ill just name a few players from QLD that has swicthed over from league 2 union from the last few yrs and went on 2 play 4 the wallibies

Tuquri

Saloir

Cliton Sicoziki

Barrick barnes

matt rogers

They were just about the best players in the world at union, they did it pi.ss easy. Who the h**l has switched over from union 2 b a good League player? no 1 that who *** nuts

Wtf whos from NSW. They played 4 qld in sate of origen, just bcuz they played 4 NSW in union desont mean s**+.t, they r Queenslanders. A french men could come over and play 4 NSW in union dosent mean his from NSW he would just play 4 them on a club contract.

Can u name any 1 from this century that has made a sucessfull switch ? Cuz i havent heard any 1 Im ony 20, so plz inlighten me

Im not big on history but i have read and heard that they banned Rugby league overseas 4 a very long time so it nealy came extinct.

My over guess is that every1 is just 2 scared to play league so the homos like wilkison played somthing easier called kick and clap

Answer 8

No, they don't know how to take a hit correctly without getting injured. This comes from them wearing pads and not having to learn how to take a hit correctly.

Answer 9

of course american football players could take the harsh sport of rugby.  the linemen are like forwards - big, tough, and underappreciated, and each play is something like a big ruck in the NFL.  The backs are similar to backs in rugby - they are fast and get all the glory.  Ruggers always let the pads fool them into thinking it is a weak sport, but it is just a different one.  Deion Sanders would have made a great wing.  Peppers and Seau as flankers...  They are similar sports.  No one cares about rugby in the US and no one cares about American football in the W. Europe or the Tri nations.

Answer 10

I think a more interesting question is what would happen if a rugby player tried to play American football. With or without the pads, your choice. Don't forget, in football, you can hit a person if he's in the air. you can also hit someone without rapping your arms around the ball carrier, allowing for allot harder hits. And lets not forget about blocking, where most football injures occur. Just the thought of getting hit by a 280 pound mass of muscle, who can run a 4.3 40 meter sprint will have most rugby players wetting their daisy dukes. Add that to the fact that football is a game of short bursts of power, as opposed to rugby which is less power more endurance. I've played both sports, and I prefer rugby, but I'm sick of my fellow rugby players showing off their ignorance. As rugby players we should show more respect for other contact sports, join forces, and go after those fruity soccer players.

Answer 11

No, they will never be able to handle the pace, hits, tension, etc. I spoke to so many Americans and they absolutely agree. Rugby is a tough game and if you are use to all the pads, helmets, etc. NO, please please never never. RUGBY RULES. Play American football in America, the rest of the world do not need it and we do not care.

Answer 12

i think that they can because i am on the highschool football team and i also play rugby so yeah hardest thing is learning rules.

Answer 13

No they couldn't. They're two totally different sports, each requiring different physical attributes. Maybe some of the faster guys in an NFL team could make the switch, but the linemen wouldn't stand a chance, simply too much running involved for them.

Ahh the old union vs league debate has kicked off again.

Hey, "hotsurfie", I guarantee you've never played a game of rugby in your life. For sissys? Slow, soft and painfully boring to watch??? If this is true, then how do you explain the global popularity of union as compared to league, which only gets played in, umm let's see - Australia, NZ, northern England, and parts of France??? Oh, I forgot about those "powerhouses" of international rugby league like Papua New Guinea and Lebanon..... ;-)

Here's a few union to league converts for you "hotsurfie" (love the name btw):

We'll start with the greatest one of all, the guy who started your beloved rugby league - Dally Messenger.  You must have heard of him, (you know, the guy that the Dally M award is named after for the NRL's Best & Fairest player).

How about Queensland's hero, Wally Lewis? Surely you couldn't have forgotten about him?? What about Ray Price, Rex Mossop, Ricky Stuart, Scott Gourley, Brett Papworth, Michael O'Connor, Brian Smith and Craig Polla-Mounta?

There's a quick ten for you just off the top of my head. Each and every one of them was an ex rugby union player that went on to be world class league players. Back to the drawing board with you, pal. You're digging yourself into a hole here, and it's getting deeper and deeper with every post you make!!

I could go on and on. The point is, many, many more union players have been successful in their switch to league than vice versa.

I'm still waiting for your response to my question above about the popularity of union vs league. C'mon dude, if you're so sure of yourself, back it up with some facts! What about some info as to your playing background? You seem to be skirting around my very valid questions here.....

As for the names you've put forward, yes I'll agree with you on Tuqiri. Rogers was also good, (but he's from NSW, not Qld). Sailor couldn't catch a bus to Balmain, let alone a rugby ball. Barnes has had what, 3 games for the Wallabies? A little too early to tell with him now isn't it? When did Schifoski make the Wallabies team? News to me mate!! He's hardly set the Qld Reds alight with his dazzling brilliance thus far, has he?

Actually, here's a paragraph from a little article I found in the Courier Mail about Schifoski:

"Egg On Red's Faces" (April 7th 2007)

Forced on to the back foot, fullback Clinton Schifoski forgot what rugby code he was playing when he carried the ball over his tryline and lunged to ground it.

When realising that would have handed the Sharks a 5m scrum, he rushed a clearing kick which was charged down".

You'll have to do a lot better than that I'm afraid..... As for them all being "the best in the world" at union, well now I'm afraid it's you who's joking.

You've clearly shown your lack of age, experience and knowledge with your posts so far. The name calling is simply childish - either post a good response or don't post at all, you're just making yourself out to be the fool by slagging me off......

How many rugby league players have successfully made the switch to union?? I'll tell you, bugger all - but plenty have made the switch from union to league. I've played both all my life, I love both games, but I can tell you for a FACT union is a much more demanding game. The only thing league has going for it, is that it teaches you how to tackle & use defensive patterns. The rest is just "bash it up" - no real intelligence required.

Tony F, you know nothing at all about me and my playing experience, so I think it would be wise for you to just put the brakes on those typing fingers until such time as your brain is in gear. What's with all the slanging? Don't you have the intelligence to have a civilised debate? Well, I suppose not, so let's bring it down to the lowest common denominator and call each other names, shall we? I'd also suggest that you go check YOUR facts - the origins of rugby league and the date of the first ever game of league played would be a good starting point for you.

It's plain for everyone to see  that I have more knowledge and more importantly, first hand experience in this matter than the two of you combined to make an INFORMED comment, rather than a parochial diatribe in support of the game you obviously love so much. Have you ever played both codes at a decent level?? No fibbing now.... you can lie to us on this forum, but you can't lie to yourself.....

Look at your "superstar" rugby league player, Andy Farrell. What a worthless waste of space he was when he tried to make the switch to union. He just couldn't handle it, could he? This is simply one example, I have plenty more if you'd like mate.

As an example of your lack of intellect, look at your final paragraph - you've agreed with what I'd posted in my first paragraph above, then go on to tell ME I don't know s**t!!!! Who's the buffoon now??

In a battle of the wits against me, the pair of you are severely underarmed. Never bring a knife to a gunfight fellas.......

Answer 14

yes they could... but the real question should be ,"Do you think American football players could take the harsh sport of BADMINTON?"

Answer 15

not enough agility and handling the ball

and will get hurt quickly without protections

only the kicker could be competitive but it's not a specialty in rugby ;-)