Is rugby a elite sport?

Question

I just started playing for the first time and thoughI would just meet a bunch of blue collor types, but come to find out most of the players on the team have Ph D or their Masters. Is this the norm; I'm in my 30's; it a social/ competive club

Answer 1

yes

Answer 2

First, define "elilte", then poll players, not yahoos, on their meeting or failing to meet your criteria.

Assuming you are dealing with Elites of Education and Income, there are mental tools acquired along the road to success, some more powerful than other on a long term test.

Sports aside, let's list some aggreable attributes of success.

1. Hard work

2. Physical prowess

3. Mental prowess

4. Improvisation

5. Emotional regulation

6. Honesty

7. Perserverence.

Now other sports like football, soccer and basketball all have common elements with rugby and each puts some of these attributes to work, but all fall just short of the complete package that rugby demands.

Football's lack of continuity is it's biggest flaw as compared to the other sports. Sports are less violent expression of war, and the more false rules there are in place and the more handicapps which are permitted, the farther from war the sport becomes. Consider war reality. March an English army into the jungles of Vietnam and the local dogs will be safe for months. This example illustrates the dependance of some army's (or sports palyers) dependance on structure and handicapp and the wake-up call a guerilla can provide. Elites frown on handicapps and assumtions, and therefore frown on excessive whistle.  

Basketball and Soccer both provide greater continuity but breed a strategy of pretending to get hurt in order to draw a foul. The referee is actually a tool of offense in these sports rather than simply a momderator. The players are whiney little girls who talk a big fight but crumble in the face of it. Champions of life get frustrated when in a welfare state, rewarding those who fail(or fall down on purpose). Elites do not want to be penalized for tripping over a homeless person on their way to the bank.

Baseball - let me know if this needs actual explanation.

In Rugby, complaining is not culturally permitted. Drawing fouls is not a valid strategy. The game is as close to non-stop as soccer and basketball but without the handicapp of,"please don't bump into me while playing sir". If a rugby player gets elbowed or stepped on, that's life, move on. Throw a fit and you're gone. The culture and mindset found on the rugby field will take you to to the peak of the business world, rather than to a position endorsing cars or mattresses.

Having said this, there are amazing people in the sports I criticized and their are idiots on the rugby field, but the cultures that domitate the different sports fall short of rugby by far.

Answer 3

Rugby isn't an Elitist sport the reason why many players are academically qualified is because the sport only turned professional in 1995 so the players would have needed a full time jobs to earn an income

Answer 4

Having played rugby for 9 years, I have seen all types of players.  I play for a club now that has three doctors, two small business owners, several lawyers and a plethora of Master degree recipients.  There are also players who possess no degree and are happy doing menial jobs.  The real factor is the age of the player.  When I started playing at age 18, I had no degree.  Now I possess two Masters degrees but I am 27 years old.

I consider rugby an elite sport because there are divisions of competition for all ages.  I play with several people that are over 40 and many who are under 24.  Another reason is the social atmosphere of competition.  While on the field, the two sides may not share pleasantries but afterwards all is forgotten and everyone is bar mates again.

Answer 5

no dont play.... you might be to old 4 a hard game like that

Answer 6

You should go play in NZ. No Ph D and Masters their. but remember to bring your ice pack.

Answer 7

Is your question some sort of joke.  Are you asking if Rugby is an elite sport and then deliberately adopting poor spelling and grammar?

Enlighten us.

Follow up - enough said I believe. Next.

Answer 8

Maybe in England it's seen as the sport from the grammar schools. Not so in Wales, parts of Scotland and certainly not in Munster in Ireland or New Zealand.

Answer 9

i dont think so

Answer 10

Rugby is a tough sport...

Answer 11

Yes, traditionally Rugby was only played in Private Schools and Universities and as a result players tended to be from a higher Socio Economic group eg. White Collar workers etc. Studies done by the ARU (Australian Rugby Union) also shows that the majority of Rugby fans also fall in this category with the average profile for a rugby supporter being Male 23-45 earning between AU$55,000.00 + working in office jobs eg. Doctors, Lawyers etc.

In other words they tend to be more educated, hence the reason why you do not see the "Boof head" behaviour you would see at soccer games as people who play/follow rugby tend to be a lot smarter

Answer 12

in nz its the working class sport. every man plays it and loves it