Whats with all the conflict between rugby and american football?

Question

I'm a fan of both sports and i hate when people complain about how american football has its pads and rugby with there short shorts and all that c**p! i play both sports and i thought hits were harder and more painful in american football even though people that dont know anything about american football football think that there is no pain at all when u get hit. u must remember how people get there hands smashed inbetween helmets and all that c**p. i do however think rugby requires more endurance. this is a fact though, the best nfl athlets are bigger and faster than the best rugby athletes, for example, dan carter of rugby vs ladanian thomlonson of american football. all my money would be on thomlonson on whos more of an all around athlete! i dont mean to be favoring american football but thats what have to say about aamerican football and this is what i have to say about rugby, it takes a bit more team work, and cooperation, i know theres more but i can think right now.

Answer 1

for me, american football is more about well thought-out and drilled tactics (precision and excellence through working like a well-oiled machine) whereas rugby requires a greater level of flow and organic team adaptability, and being part of the plastic development of a game plan.

I suppose one could liken them to chess and sketching. it would be silly to say that one is better than the other.

oh, and the thought of being clobbered from any angle at any time (even if I do have a helmet on) seems a lot tougher to deal with than knowing that if you hold on to the rugby ball, sooner or later someone is going to put their shoulder in your rib cage ;-)

Answer 2

I agree with your points except for one thing.

You said compare the best athletes from both sports. Why then, did you posit Dan Carter as Rugby's finest athlete? He's probably the best player, but best athlete? No way.

You'd be better off with say, Richie McCaw, Luke Narraway, Schalk Burger, Ryan Kankowski, James Haskell or any other international flanker.

Let Ladanian Thomlinson run at Schalk Burger then we'll see what happens. Burger is a maniac and would probably attempt to commit an act of grieveous bodily harm.

Answer 3

people will always think the sport / hobby they do is superior to others due to the fact they know more about it. as a rugby player i don't know mch about american football. to me it looks just like a load of big guys running into each other and stopping every second. but i'm sure that's not all there is to it.

speaking on behalf of rugby, we do not take as much contact, but in my opinion, it is far more technical, requires phrases, tactical kicking, scrums, line-outs, penalties.

anywy i'm not saying rugby is better, i'm just saying you'll always think what you do is the best. dunno why

Answer 4

No idea mate.  Gridiron was derived from Rugby.  It annoys me when Gridiron guys say the NFL is only thing around.  Rugby is more global than Gridiron.  

For example, the only Gridiron guy i know is Michael Vick and that's because I read about him torturing animals.

Answer 5

football has harder hits, but rugby is tougher

as for your comparison, can ladanian play every down of the game? could he tackle someone bigger than him if they came thundering towards him at full speed? could he make a 50 yd kick?

thought not. and you call him the better all round athlete?????????? who is showing bias now?!?!?

football is more rote; learn the play, do it.

rugby is far more cerebral. dan carters clever little kicks are about reading the defense and exploiting the gaps. going six times in one direction to load up the defense, then switching sides. passing every time the throwing a dummy pass.

you could say football is like cramming a lot of data for a thorough test, while rugby is like actual intelligence; being able to formulate a solution given a set of data without just learning the answer.

i think the real problem is that too many football fans have no clue about rugby.

Answer 6

i have respect for players of both sports, i think they are both tough and incredibly hard to play

i suppose there are always going to be conflict between fans of both sports, because they are both similar sports, to a certain extent, even though they do differ alot

one set of fan is always going to think that their sport is harder, because of pure pride and bias towards the sport

for me, i watch both sports, Rugby by choice because i love it, and American Football i'm forced to watch by my American girlfriend, and while i agree that the hits in Football are bigger, the pads do to a certain degree protect the tackler and player being tackled. The force of the tackle, while it will still hurt, will be spread across the pads, where as a rugby tackle, the force is concetrated in one area and is capable of doing more damage, such as breaking ribs, and for the tackler breaking collar bones and dislocating shoulders etc

i also think Rugby is a rougher sport, with rucks and mauls, where you can get stamped on, kicked, punched, and have studs scraped acorss every area of your body (you got to love getting in the shower after a rugby game, and you get the stinging pain from all the stud grazes)

as a Scrum-Half, i was always one for giving it the boot in rucks if people got in the way of the ball

i think Football is a less rough sport, but a more high impact collision sport.

as far as athletes in both sports are concerned, you have to remember that Rugby Union only turned professional in 1995 even though it's been around since the 1820's and the system for bringing through new fresh talent and training these players into fine athletes is still a new thing, and it is catching up Football all the time. I don't think it will be long till they are both of similar standards as far as athletes go. Even though i think now Rugby players are fitter, due to the endurance aspect of the game

i also think the culture around Rugby is far greater than that of Football. The mere fact that Rugby player address the referee as "sir" shows the respect and discipline in the game of Rugby. Also there is never any real moments of elaborate celebrations and playing to the crowd which i have witnessed in Football. Score a try in Rugby, and a player will leg it back to halfway to get ready to go again, there are no touchdown dances or athletes taking off their helmets to show their mugs for the cameras that i have seen in Football

also, what i love about Rugby is the fact you could of smashed someone on the field, thrown punches at them, called them any name under the sun, then at the end of the game, you shake hands, all the hard feelings are left on the field, you walk off together, and meet up in the clubhouse after the game, have a drink, a laugh and you can be good mates.

there were times when i would come up against my freinds who at the weekend i would play with on the same team at club level, then during the week, we would be on opposite teams playing for school, and we would just laugh about how i stood on his head or he punched me and so on

the culture around Rugby is one of the bets bits about the game

well thats my take on both sports anyway

Answer 7

I have only played rugby, so I can only speak for rugby. I played in the backs everywhere from 5/8 to wing and fullback over a period of about 20 years and trust me when you get hit you get hit!! especially if your opposition has a majority of south pacific islanders or maori. I have sustained a chipped ankle, severe ankle ligament strains, a broken finger, a dislocated shoulder, a broken nose, have been stomped on, raked out, have had my head used as a soccer ball, I have quite a few stitches inserted and numerous corks and sprains and strains,  and I loved every minute of it, I am retired from playing now a days but every season I wish I could run out there again and do battle for my club and my mates and at the end of the game, sing a few songs and have a drink or (20) with my team mates and the opposition. I didnt realise that there was any conflict between the two codes. We cant play american football very well and the americans suck at rugby! where's the conflict