Has rugby become unwatchable?

Question

Really looked forward to the boxing day and new years matches this year...some fine historic local derbies, that are the highlight of the festive season...and have been some of the most entertaining matches around...

But whats this...utter dire shite for match after match...where defences are on top and the only option for the backs too do is kick off first phase...You can't even tell who the best team is anymore...stats like possession are meaningless. It is the equivelant of naughts and crosses where everything has been nulified - and it is frankly boring. If this carries on I can't imagine this "new" game attracting any more supporters let alone keeping the ones it already has. It seems winning is actually "everything"..even if there is no one left to watch it.

Answer 1

Just be thankfull the game's moved on from the times when everyone on the pitch was a forward and scrums lasted twenty minutes.

Answer 2

Depends on what hemisphere you're in.     Northern Hem. teams tend to kick a lot and for some reason the spectators cheer like h**l over it.    Southern Hem. teams run the ball through their backlines more and that provides a more viewable spectacle.     The new rules may improve the game in both Hemispheres.

Answer 3

Are you guys running any new rules up in the NH yet ?

S14 will be running eight experimental law variations or "ELVs" in February but it's still unclear if these experiments will be used in the tri-nations tests - bit tough on the guys and refs - having to chop and change.

The rules are expected to make the game faster and more watchable. They include free kicks instead of penalties for most infringements other than offside and foul play; requiring each backline to be 5m from the hindmost foot at the scrum; not allowing a ball that has been passed or run inside the 22m line to be kicked out on the full; and modification of the  tackled ball rules.

The tackled ball rules are still confusing as all h**l - but they do not include hands allowed in the ruck - which was trialled in Australia last year with mixed results.

I tend to agree with you statement that rugby is becoming unwatchable, but not because of the nature of the southern game but rather the volume. Too much rugby being played down here, sometimes less is more.

Answer 4

I was very disappointed with the quality and entertainment value of all all games over the Christmas period!

The Ospreys v Blues game played for over 50 minutes before there was even a sniff of a try!

The other fixtures were just as bad...........very disappointing!

There does not seem to be any consistency there anymore in any team and lack of discipline needs to be looked at!

Answer 5

Granted, English Premiership rugby is beginning to resemble Rugby League more and more and that's not good for the game over there. Fortunately, it's not the sport of rugby that has become unwatchable, just the big stakes arena of the Premiership. Still, those sides are still capable of putting together good rugby, particularly raising their games for Heineken Cup games.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XyHcWLpny...

This is not "frankly boring".

In France I watch excellent rugby week in, week out in the French Championship and the French rugby team's defense is stronger than that of England - some tries can't be stopped though and these remain the points that count at the highest level. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V52BWugFb...

Take a look at any of the tries on http://rugbydump.blogspot.com/2007/11/mi... and tell me "everything is nullified".

Would you prefer to go back to the day when it was acceptable for players to drop off tackles and concede soft tries? There's nothing boring about hard defence and fortunately rugby union is producing and attracting the kind of athletes who are good enough to persistently break these seemingly watertight defences. That adds value to the game as a spectator sport and means that the players have to think as well as put in and take the big hits.