Why is Rugby League better than rugby union?

Question

We all know it is, but why?

Answer 1

Maybe because it's not? Union is more inclusive and tougher and takes more endurance. I always laugh when I see leaguers saying ~Union is too stop start, whenever I turn over to watch a league game, it's just pass the ball to the person next to you, who runs up the middle gets tackled, tacklers lay on him for a couple of seconds while he has a seizure and then it's repeated.

Ever notice why it's always rugby league followers that start these questions? They need to reassure themselves because they're insecure.

The people below me saying rugby league forwards have better skills is because every player on a league team is the same. You don't have to have specialist props, second rows because you have no lineouts and instead  a break in play where the players lean in to each other which you try to pass off as a scrum.

And calling it Onion hahaha aren't you very clever.

Answer 2

It's not better.

It's ok for a bit of training now and then, but taking all the contact skills out of proper rugby just makes it a bit dull.

Rucks and mauls are great fun and make union a lot more varied and interesting than League.

If it was better it would be more popular than Union. It's not, fact.

Answer 3

Union is much better, it's played all over the world, not like rugby Lite, and it's got much more skill and tactics, league isn't even that popular in Australia(exept for a few white trailer trash)

Answer 4

it isnt.

its like a full contact version of touch

stop, go, stop, go, stop go.

no continuity. and you think that is better?

Answer 5

MY team souths just goes to show how better league is better.YOU can't get rid of the best no matter what.Rugby league is"SIMPLY THE BEST".League players that convert do so ,so they have got it easier!!!

Answer 6

Rugby Union is more strategic and tactical but overall I think Rugby League is a better game to watch for fans of football codes. The game flows better than Union because there are less stoppages. There are also minimal tries in Union which makes it boring to watch and the shocking scoring system means some games just feature penalty goals rather than exciting attacking plays. League has a certain aspect of unpredictability that makes it much more entertaining than Union. The NRL League competition is much more unpredictable and fiercely contested than the Super 14 which the Crusaders dominate every year.

If you like entertaining, exciting rugby and don't care about being stereotyped as a knucklehead yobbo, league is better. If you like playing tactical sports then Union is better.

Maybe the league players don't do well in Union because they, like the fans, have trouble understanding the complicated and senseless rules.

BTW the guys that say Union is better because League players defect to Union are stupid. They go to Union for money not because of the passion. If they went because of the passion wouldn't they be at Union in the first place? Not a very logical reason as to why Union is better is it lensta3?

Answer 7

What IDIOT told you that leagues better than union. Id like to meet him

Answer 8

If you like league better, that's great. Me, I prefer my rugby with lineouts, rucks, mauls, and contested scrums. To each his own, but it's silly to say one is objectively better than the other.

Answer 9

it's not

Union all the way

so much more intresting and so much more contact with rucks and mauls.

Union is not as repetitive as league ... run get tackled, stand up, roll the ball back, next guy, runs tackled, gets up, ball back, next guy, runs and so on

the only time i will ever watch league is at international level, otherwise i just get bored with it

Answer 10

First of all, to LENSTA3

You talk about how bad all of these union converts have gone, yet who has even heard of Yesten Harris - he was really top level stuff wasnt he.

Now, lets talk about some more converts. First of all Berrick Barnes. Yes thats right, Berrick Barnes who was to be our saviour at the World Cup. Hang on you say, Berrick Barnes never played league. Well thats wrong, and the only reason nobody knows he played league was because he couldnt even get into the Broncos starting lineup. THE BRONCOS. Not the Kangaroos, not the Queensland Origin team, the Broncos, a club team. Now lets go to Ryan Cross. Once again, never represented anyone other than club for his whole league career, yet, upon his arrival in union, he plays for the Wallabies in his first year!!!!

Now who has the better standards. Exactly.

THE QUESTION

The answer to the question can be seen in the example of the Super 14 final, in which the Crusaders defeated the Waratahs 20-12. Now lets imagine the final ten minutes had played out differently. Lets imagin first that the Waratahs score out wide and the conversion misses. 20-17 to Crusaders. The Waratahs, in desperation, manage to pull off another try, but once again the conversion goes wide. 22-20, the Waratahs now have the lead. The Crusaders take the ball downfiled, and Dan Carter is able to milk a penalty. He opts for a shot at goal and kicks it after full time to give the Crusaders a 23-22 victory.

Now, union fans will say well done the crusaders, they deserved it they player better. Lets look at the stats in the match.

Waratahs - 4 tries, 1 conversion

Crusaders - 1 try, 1 drop goal, 4 penalty goals

Do you see my point? The Waratahs scored 4 tries to 1, yet still lost. This is why league is so much better. I doubt there has ever been a game, under the current scoring rules, in which a team has lost after scoring three more tries than the opposition.  

And that is why league is so much better than union.

Answer 11

Obviously the answers above have come from people who have never watched the game of Rugby League.

League takes the best bits - strength, ball skill, open running, fitness and leaves the dross - endless kicking to find touch, pointless repetitive 1m gains in the middle, fat blokes who would be better suited to darts and games won on penalties without a try being scored.

League may have physical stops i.e. at the play the ball (where laying on is penalised to speed up play) but Union has a lot more inactive play, when the ball is under a pile of bodies or in touch or when a penalty occurs.

As for the "soft" tag, rubbish. With a 10m off side rule there is plenty of space to build up speed and hit the opposing line full on. There are plenty of vidoes on YouTube showing big hits in League, and I have seen quite a few players knocked out cold then getting up and playing on.

Union can be likened to a couple of Walrus' flopping against one another.

The games aim, which ever code, is to have a player crossing the try line with the ball. Its no conincidence with more tries being scored in league, that the key player in the England Union team is either a penalty kicker or defensive forward, where as in league its a constructive attacking back. I have watched union (regretably) and seem to remember Jeremy "in my day" Gusscott, freezing his backside off on the wing waiting for the ball which never came where as kickers Dusty Hair, Mike Catt and Mrs Wilkinson were the game winners.

Its also no coincidence that after the last world cups tryless final there were calls from Australian Rugby Union Chief Exec, John O'Neill, asking for changes to be made to make the game more exciting.

Dont think we get that in Rugby League!

The arguement about Union being played more widley and is therefore better is rubbish. It played more widely because it was taken around the world by the people who played it ie public school educated upper class. League was a working class sport from the north of England, and guess what, £10 Easyjet flights to the continent werent around then. Only the rich could afford to travel, therefore to spread 1st

Answer 12

it isnt mate leage doesent have any way people earn the ball in leage they dont try as much they just run the ball strait into the guy and get smashed where in union you pass the ball

and r flashy

Answer 13

Rugby League - played by Aus, NZ, northern England & a small part of France. Oh, and a few of those "powerhouse" nations like PNG and Lebanon LMAO.

Rugby Union - truly global game.

Hard as Nails has it spot on.

EDIT - come on then, you two mungo league knuckleheads, please explain to me why union is WAY more popular globally than league? Don't get me wrong, I like league and actually played nothing else until I was 12. However it's a one dimensional game. All 13 players are virtually the same build these days.

As for your comments about "fat blokes" in union, that may well be true if you're watching the Narrabri 1st XV, but do you ever bother to watch a Super 14 or a test match? Get real fellas!!

You've both shown yourselves to be typical leaguies - uneducated working class yobbos who can't see the truth if it were shoved under their noses.

Answer 14

coz its non stop and fast

Answer 15

It's not. Definitely a lighter version of rugby.

When a RL player switches codes to play in Union find it more difficult, and harder...

Lesley Vainikolo could be a recent example.

Answer 16

are you kidding me?  where is the contact?  no rucking?!  thats all the fun.  i agree with the guy above, league iis stop and go.  taking over and blowing up rucks is awesome.  i would rather play cricket than rugby league.  ive tried watching it and it is a joke.  it takes no strategy to play league...all of your defenser can converge on the ball carrier while in union you have to keep flat and not over commit.  it has a personal skill level side that league could never dream of.  league sucks

Answer 17

I reckon Union would be a bit more better than League as it is more international. Its got class and not so many different Australian teams, just one verusing international competitors.

Answer 18

It simply isnt better,Union is by a country mile, all players need to be actively involved a lot more, the fact that they have to compete for the ball at every breakdown makes for a much more exciting game. There is sooooooooooooo much standing around in league, and the main thing they have to know is counting to 5 and kicking or running as hard as the can into the person in front. There just arent the same tactics needed in league not to mention the golden oldies scrums.

Answer 19

League k***s alway think that there sport is harder, yet when I look at top level I see all league players converting to Union.  Whats even funnier than this is that 90% of converts can't even make an impact in Union.  Mat Rodgers was okay, Lote Tuqiri is alright, Wendell Sailor should've never come to rugby cause he didn't do jack, Henry Paul - Yep thats all i can say about him, the League monster Lesley Vainikola cant even get a start for England cause his skill level and fitness level are not high enough yet he played top level League for how long. Yesten Harris the Welsh dude, another Yep and hopeless, should I go on?? You k***s don't even have a clue.  I played Club League in my late teens for 2 seasons and went back to Union cause the skill level wasn't good enough. Physical maybe, but comeon when you run straight like a headless chicken then of course you're going to be an easy target.  I beat you can go and watch any League game and I guarantee that the forwards will only do 1 hit up and stand back and have a rest.  Then on the last tackle they will run in front of the guy kicking the ball.  Rugby you cant sit down and have a rest after a run because it is a continuous sport until an error is made.  YOu refer to offloads that is because yoou only have a certain time with the ball, Rugby you must retain the ball, You have to fight for your yards not kick a 40/20 LOL.  This debate could go on and on but look at how many top players are converting to each sport and tell me if your players are so passionate then why leave, money??? well then your sport has no passion and thats all I can say about League

Answer 20

I like rugby league.

how bout u