Rugby?!?!

1) I still enjoy the forward pass

2) I don't watch rugby much either, but those games were really short. 7 minute halves with a running clock. But that was 7 on 7. How long is a normal rugby match?

 

What is your opinion of people who wear rugby shirts, but do not play rugby?

 

Australian, mate???

 

Oh, yeah! Sht, I'm sorry.

I know that everyone who is from the United States knows "American Football" rules.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9NQ5sLDn34

10X better then rugby..

Also, can somebody tell me how to post videos

 

I caught a bit of it. Quick question, why do they slide into the end zone? I thought it was celebration at first, but then I thought every player can't be an a-hole.

 

They slide because to score a Try or goal you have to forcefully push it down without it bouncing away..if that made any sense..

 

Isn't the AFL Australian Rugby?

I caught some of the 7s stuff on Saturday on TV, looked interesting, but actual rugby definitely looks more intense.

 

If you want to see real Rugby watch some All Blacks games..and their Hakka.

 

I play pickup games at school, and I've also started watching pro matches lately. Sevens, which y'all saw today, is a completely different beast from the full game. Unfortunately, the European season just ended (both national and club), and matches are regularly available on BBC America. The Southern Hemisphere matches (NZ, Aus, SA) are still on, and online streams can be found with some digging.

It's a really great spectator sport and the rules are fairly simple, so I highly recommend it if you can find a way to watch.

 

Nah, AFL is all about kicking through the uprights, and it's very freeform - you can pass the ball to anyone at any place on the field, with no offsides. Australia has its own rugby team, and their club teams play in a tournament against NZ and SA teams.

 

Nah Australian Football League is completely different to rugby:

You can kick forwards or backwards, the game doesn't stop when there is a tackle. The scoring is different and there is a forwardline, backline and midfield.

Another example to help see the gameplay for those interested:


<object width="640" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/EMswYa2ivMc&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/EMswYa2ivMc&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385"></embed></object>

BTW: thanks to BigBenito for the help.

 

The same way I'd feel about someone who wears a football jersey but doesn't play football, I guess...?

I have always been intrigued by Rugby, especially after seeing the Australian league (not Australian rules) about a year ago. Nice to see it on T.V. in America. I doubt it will stick around, unfortunately.

The city in which I live in has a Rugby team, I have been thinking about looking into it.

 

I can answer most of your Rugby questions since I played a little in HS.

They literally have to touch the ball down. its called a down instead of a touchdown like in football. If you don't touch the ball down and lose it or run out of bounds, you will not score.

 

Rugby is a pretty popular sport in many top business schools around the world. After playing it for the first time 3 years ago, I think rugby is definitely more fun to play than American football and arguably more interesting to watch.

The main difference with rugby is that it is much more of a team effort and you don't have individuals who are big and heavy like linemen, or tall, skinny and fast receivers, or the big shot quarterback. Yes in rugby there are forwards (bigger guys) and backs (faster guys) but the variance is much smaller than in American football. Also in rugby, everyone plays offense and defense.

In rugby, if you get tackled as the ball carrier, and you have no teammates around to ruck over the ball (form the wall), the other team is allowed to just pick it up and you screwed up for breaking away from your teammates. In American football, you are rewarded for sprinting down the field with or without your teammates for 50 yards before getting tackled. In rugby, you need to keep up with the ball carrier and the ball carrier needs to stay with his teammates.

The game is always flowing like soccer too. There are no breaks or stoppages after every play or turnover (unless there is a penalty). Therefore, you have to be a well-conditioned athlete. I have seen some big ass mofos play rugby and they suck balls because they can't keep up. It doesn't matter how big and strong you are. If you can't keep up with your team, you are useless.

There is also minimal protection in rugby so people are generally more controlled with their tackles. In the NFL, people can go crazy with their monster hits because they are wearing helmets and pads to protect them from getting hurt. In rugby, laying a guy out on his back is not the main goal. Getting the ball is the main goal. If you spend all your momentum and energy to tackle someone and are slow to get back up (remember, the game keeps moving even if someone gets tackled), then you are screwing your team over by being out of the play. Plus, you just feel like a real man when you are tackling people and fighting for the ball without helmets and pads. Yes, you get lots of cuts and bruises from playing rugby but I would say serious injuries are more common in American football because as I said, people are more controlled with their tackles in rugby.

I never really understood rugby until I played it in b-school, but once I did, I was hooked and I think everyone should try it. SMU's business school had a sizable rugby team so if you are at SMU, you might want to look them up if you want to play.