Do you think the "rugby vs. American football" clash is about sports or the countries?

Question

or, does this matter? I am a "Yank" and love both rugby and football. I read about how much american footballers are pansies and how tough rugby players are etc. Sometimes I feel that when people discuss the two it is vicariously about the countries i.e. USA vs. Europe, Austrailia, New Zealand, and South Africa. Having played both I feel that rugby is a tougher sport in terms of being mentally strong because of the non-stop action for eighty minutes, but the players in American football hit harder. How come there is so much discussion about the two? I feel both are great and from my perspective, as blasphemous as this may sound, if rugby in the US attached itself in some way to the NFL, like rugby teams playing in NFL stadiums during the offseason with colours similar to the NFL team and maybe some associations with each other, rugby would get more exposure and improve the US rugby situation. What do you think?

Answer 1

personally i think it is ludicrous for people to attempt to compare the 2 sports.  they are completely different and trained for in different ways- in rugby for stamina and in am. football for strength and power bursts.  there’s different ways to tackle, different demands physically, mentally, and skill wise.  even reliance on coaching is different.

i think those outside the USA take offense to am football because: a) it ahs evolved from rugby by changing their game and "changing the rules to suit our own needs", b)it doesnt include them c) it has become a huge passion here.  So i feel that they try to bash it every chance they can- i understand that.  I also believe that they are beginning to realize that popularity of rugby is growing here and within a short amount of time, we will soon be producing some seriously competitive teams and players.  it will take a while, but its coming.  :-)

i get the feeling that they believe we are self absorbed and have blinders to the rest of the world because we focus so much on am football.  But what they dont realize is that rugby is NOT ACCESSIBLE here in the states.  you can't just turn on the TV and watch it like you can with am football.  you ahve to buy a special channel or pay for pay per view in bars.  most of the rugby players in the states are college age or older because most of us discover the sport in college.  we are professionals- lawyers, dr's, teachers, IT people... playing on club teams

as for aligning with NFL, its an interesting idea and it could work. i kinda like it.  it would be hard to schedule seasons though- you kind of have to go with established seasons in all the rest of the nations.  that seems to be the biggest challenge of rugby... trying to find room for it in a sport season.  baseball exhausts the spring/ summer season- with 3 games per series - they play like 90 something games each team.  then football in the fall/ winter and basketball/ hockey.  summer seems to be the only time that may work even though it competes with baseball.  

in the USA, we've gotta get more youth programs out there and get some rugby on TV!!!  get involved in your communities and start high school teams!

Answer 2

Who is the USA's best friend ?

You have no mates, the world is sick of your government's foreign policy, and the way you chew threw the whole planets resources with greed and scant regard to the rest of us.

Don't you get it Yank ?

American football just is not the bridge to international relations that rugby is. When people from other countries contrast and compare NFL and rugby, there is always plenty of room for vicarious, flippant comment on the insular, narrow, global view of the stereotypical Yank.

Unlike me, most people are too polite to say anything.

Stop the hate, forget greed, share the love.

You the people, must make your government reprehensible for your nation's presence in the Persian Gulf - that's just too sad, and it's being going on for too long.

It's a lonely old world with no mates, Yank. I suspect like in so many international arenas, you are largely, tolerated but not enjoyed buy rugby players from other countries.

Answer 3

Hi I'm English, I used to play rugby league & occasionally rugby union,  I've had a knock around for US football as well as watching it for over 25years so have a fair knowledge of all. In my opinion lots of rugby union supporters think it is the be all & end all of sport. Many don't know zip about sport full stop whilst obviously there are others who are just anti US for whatever reasons which spill over into anything from the US.

Sometimes the perceived attitude of Americans about themselves gets up peoples noses and sporting types say how can you be 'world Champions' for sports that have very limited countries participating(Baseball as an example if you like). However why does it matter but to some it does and these little things seem to add up hence their stance.

Anyone who says US footballers are pansies obviously know nothing about the sport or have even taken to a field in anger (picnic pundits) NFL is immensely demanding on the body. People get the idea that because they wear a helmet then that is a sign of weakness. The are more frequent bigger hits in NFL due to the design of the game, players are often vunerable to be hit when they are focusing on catching a ball. Most of the players are bulkier muscle wise than rugby so this has a compound affect too.

In rugby(league) the hits are hard but less frequent due to the stamina aspect and also because a player can offload the ball at will just before or in the tackle so it is not just about knocking a player down.

In rugby union tackles tend not to be full blown because players(forwards especially) slow down & turn in the tackle to present the ball.

Thus in rugby(both codes) it is as much about stopping the ball as it is the player this in turn changes the way players tackle with a tendancy around the upper body.

In my opinion a top NFL linebacker/wide receiver/Running back would fare very well in Rugby league within a short space of time, it would be much harder for a player from either of the rugby codes to change to NFL.

As far as having rugby teams in NFL colours and playing in the stadia we just had Leeds Rhinos play Sidney Rabbitos at the Jacksonville Axemens Hodges Stadium though this is obviously small comparatively.

NFL is more like rugby league than union & hopefully as a sport it can expand over there.

Answer 4

I don't think it's just down to a clash of countries. I think that anyone who is passionate about a sport will look at other similar sports and try to find ways that their own sport is better. Rugby and American Football are similar in a lot of ways. Both  require one team to advance the ball up the pitch by running with the ball in hand or kicking/throwing. Both have two main methods of scoring ie try/touchdown or penalty/field goal ( I'm discounting a safety because it occurs so little. There is also a lot more physical contact than most other popular sports so I think that the supporters are just looking for a way to prove their sport is better not bashing another sport just for fun. As a person that started watching American Football recently I found it annoying to have play stopped so frequently and I know this tuns some people against the sport and they then want to prove to other people that the sport is no good.

Answer 5

Jeesus dude I have been trying to tease and wind up damien for over a year, (with zero success I may add) and for you to get that sort of reaction...well top marks sir. I'm speechless...I am not kidding either...Maybe i should have pretended to be a american?

Heard on the grape vine that New Zealand are intending to play a test there against South Africa in the summer...in some sort of promotional/addidas deal thing sharing the billing with Canada and America who will also play each other..This is a step forward.,,as America getting hammered by the All Blacks won't do anyone any good..Think someone should have had the balls to include america in the six nations. Think the americans(with that kind of exposure) would have been forced to get into it and enjoy it then..and as a nation - they would easily get wrapped up in the passion of the six nations.

Answer 6

It can't be countries competing mate.

Gridiron is the US only and Rugby is global.

The US players hit harder than Jerry Collins or Schalk Burger?  You're having a laugh mate.

Rugby is global and Gridron's not.