Who is stronger, fitter and faster an NFL football player or a International Rugby Player?

Question

Who is stronger, fitter and faster an NFL football player or a International Rugby Player?

Answer 1

NFL players get paid more than rugby players, but they are worth less on all the above pointers.

Answer 2

Stronger - NFL Linemen

Fitter - NFL DB's, RB's, and LB's

Faster - NFL DB's and WR's

Answer 3

Stronger - NFL footballer (Linemen are anyway)

Fitter - Any Rugby Player (especially loose forwards)

Faster - About equal. Plenty of Rugby players that have ran olympic qualifying 100m times and i'm sure it's the same in the NFL

Edit - To the answer below, you've got it right pretty much. Wingers and Running backs will be about the same speed, i doubt any American Footballers will be as fast as the likes of Habana or Ngwenya.

Rugby players are definately fitter because they have to sustain their efforts over 80 minutes without a break (other than th paltry half time)

But you didn't know about strength, well NFL players are definately stronger, the strongest in Rugby, Andrew Sheridan (England Loosehead Prop) can benchpress about 500lb whereas the NFL's strongest player, Larry Allen of the 49ers can benchpress 700lb.

But Rugby hasn't been a professional sport for very long and it will catch up in terms of strength training and such like very soon.

Answer 4

Depends on the position.  Because I imagine rugby players might well have more stamina because they have to play in longer bursts whereas American football players swap on and off depending if their team is defending or not.

Faster I'm not so sure, but I think it would depend on position again.  I imagine that a running back would be faster than a prop or a hooker, but a winger would be about the same speed at least.

No idea about stronger, well none I can back up with logic anyway.

Answer 5

Stronger? a Rugby Prop

Fitter? a Rugby Flanker

Faster? a Rugby Winger

Answer 6

a NFL RB esp. "Fast Willie" Parker