Why do people watch rugby?

Question

I'm not knocking your sport or anything but what do you do in Rugby. I watch American Football all thetime and I don't see how Rugby comes close to it.

Answer 1

rugby is awesome because of its brutality and violence

i treat it the same as the nfl just as brutal

Answer 2

Why does anyone do anything, because we like to, it is a sport we like therefore we watch it.

Answer 3

I played both high school rugby and football, then football in college, and now am back to rugby. Most of what is said has been true, if you want a collision or one stand out moment of athelticism, Amer. football is perfect. We grew up with the commercial breaks and think nothing of it. If you want to watch a game that is more smooth, requires more thinking, and just flows better, without the interruptions, still providing your physical hitting, then watch rugby. But I woudl say, contradictory to toher posters, is you're more likely to get seriosuly injured in Amer. football, but in rugby, every game you will get beat up. There are many more aches and pains after a rugby game, but I always worried more about injury playing with pads on ebcause that made the violence so much more intense.

Answer 4

american football = stop start stop start stop start

Answer 5

Well...it's different...it's more violent...it's more intense...perhaps you just don't understand it.

Answer 6

I think it depends on where you are brought up and what influences your outlook.

I grew up and am living in NZ and Rugby is what we breathe over here. I tried watching the superbowl once and found it absolutely boring. But thats just a personal opinion.

Answer 7

I remember when I got satellite TV for the first time and was goung to be able to watch an American Football game for the first time. I was looking forward to it, but was left so disappointed. Hollywood movies had duped me into believing that AF was an action packed, fast flowing game with monster tackles.

What I found was a game with more stoppages imaginable (I mean it even stops for ad breaks!). Most of the plays end up with the player running out of bounds and the entire team gets substituted for offence or defence. Sorry to say, I found it quite boring.

Rugby on the other hand has great flowing action with a tackle made every few seconds. Plus the only ad breaks are during a 10minute half time. I just find rugby a h**l of a lot more exciting, especially when the major teams play each other like the Springboks of South Africa, All Blacks of New Zealand and the Australian Wallabies.

I guess it comes down to what you're used to watching - you've obviusly grown up with AF and me with rugby so that's why we enjoy watching our respective sports.

Although I think if you understood the game of rugby and it's rules, you'll find its a much more entertaining game.

Answer 8

I don't understand how you think American football is a better spectator sport than rugby union. Rugby is 80 mins of non stop action , men thinking on there feet for themselves compared to American football play 2 mins then stop talk about it then the coach and the tens of support staff telling the players exactly what play to do which in my opinion is not letting the players use the natural instinct. Secondly i question the sporting ability of some of those linemen yes they are strong and some are quick over 10m but can they all catch , pass and run with ball where is in rugby every player on the field has to be able to do every thing except kicking though we all can kick a ball just some a lot better than others.

Answer 9

rugby is a gentlemans sport. Its good fun to watch - plus you get to see all these men run around in tiny little shorts with their thighs on show lol

Answer 10

Rugby is continuous action.  Not the stop/start that happens in Gridiron.

Gridiron belongs in America for Americans.  The rest of the world doesn't care for Gridiron.  Football and Rugby are global games with World Cups.  That will never happen with Gridiron.

Rugby, the game they play in Heaven.

Go the ACT Brumbies.

Answer 11

People watch rugby for the same reason that you watch American Football...... Because they enjoy it.

Answer 12

people watch rugby for the same reasons that you watch football.

i personally like to watch rugby than american football because it's wat i grew up watching.

Answer 13

ey man i got respect for your question, i see your not bashing either.

to repeat others-

football is a great sport, lots of big hits, big catches, etc. but the problem is its kinda slow for the spectators. theres a 8 second play, then 20 seconds to call another. dont get me wrong, i play, eat, sleep, and **** football, but i would understand how it would get boring to some spectators, especially those used to rugby.

rugby is way more fast paced- and it imitates football in that it has some of those same hits, rucks and mauls, but unlike football its a constant stream of that blessed violence, so it doesnt have really any down time. i also play and love rugby.

Answer 14

I actually played Gridiron (American Football) last year, found it interesting but much much easier to hadle the hits with all the gear. With the pads and helmets you feel invincible and have tunnel vision, but its mostly an act. The sound created by the padding makes it sound worse than any hit is. At my age 35 I had no problems in the D but I really dont think i'm fit enough to play Rugby or Hard enough anymore to survive in Rugby League anymore.

Answer 15

American Football is terrible to watch. It is so stop start and there are so many commercial breaks in it. Rugby is non-stop action.

Answer 16

Well, the american football is a derivation of rugby. Rugby is a more dangerous sport, since you have less protection, more contact, you have to be in great fisical condition. We play 2 times of 40 minutes, stoping when someone gets hurts thats all. And we watch it because when you understand it you can see how it works, you can see great tackles, scrums that makes you proud of your team. Its such as golf, if you dont undestand it you wont sit to see a match.

Answer 17

As an American I can state that rugby is a much better sport than the NFL.  NFL is boring and slow paced.  I even took up playing rugby at 41.

Answer 18

Typical ******** question from another American......

There is a whole other world going on outside your borders mate.

Last time I checked rugby was played worldwide, where do they play American football?