tri-emitter

There has already been a debate about Rugby and Football and about which is better, more intense, and so on and so on. I don't want to debate which is better, I just want to say that Rugby is so much fun and we need to make it a bigger sport in the United States. I played Football for five years and loved every minute of it. It was fast-paced and hard hitting. I have played Rugby for a little more than two years, and I get the exact same feeling out of playing Rugby as I do out of Football. I want to know who out here has played both, and what did the like the most about each game?

Infinite Chaos

If you enjoy your rugby, wait till you try rugby 7's. It's the ultimate team game and a real test for your fitness and team skills.

As for your question, I played both sports in the UK and represented my county in both sports. Always preferred the honest physicality of rugby over football - a tackle was a tackle and there was very little play acting ever.

I did however give rugby up when I found that I had learned techniques to "break tackles" or to put my target down on the ground very hard when I tackled - one morning in a county match I broke my tacklers collar bone when he tried tackling me. That afternoon playing another match for the city team I broke another man's leg in a similar moment and I realised I had become a bit too good at hurting people. It was actually about lowering my centre of gravity in a tackle - if I kept my body mass lower than my opponent in the "crunch" he was likely to come off worse than I would. It had become second nature to me at this stage.

So.... I went into one-man sports like iron-man and triathlon for the army after I finished University.

Scucca

We were forced to play rugger at school. As far as I could tell, for the amateur, it was a game for fat people (and therefore ideal for America). Don't get me wrong. Its a complex sport! There are also the police teams that use games of rugger to control the aggression amongst the ranks. We don't want too many folk 'slipping' in the cells after all

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Infinite Chaos

There wasn't any real need for that - either as an anti-American sentiment or an anti "fat people" sentiment.

Scucca

No need to be delicate. I've only referred to the facts. Rugger does provide sporting opportunities for the obese. It is also the case that there is a sizable population of the obese in the US. Ripe for growth!

Infinite Chaos

As a rugby fan and player I disagree... swimming is far better and easier on the body and its muscles.

Scucca

Swimming is characterless. Whilst the Aussies use it to maximise pointless medal hauls, we should never forget that.

The obese deserve sport too. Rugger offers them an opportunity. You can't expect them all to play darts.

Infinite Chaos

OK. I "get" the humour...

now, back to rugby...............

Ethereal

I played both and I'm actually going to join a local rugby league (The Shamrocks - A Chicago area team) once I have the time again. Played football in gradeschool and highschool as a wide out and a tail back, and played highschool and college rugby as a half-back and winger.

As far as the sport itself is concerned I think football is more fun. I can't really explain why but I love football. My number one dream would be playing QB in the NFL. The smarts and athleticism required at that position are almost unparalelled in athletics.

As far as sports culture is concerned rugby is more fun. Getting drunk before games and getting blazed after (and more drunk) is a great, great time. In highschool after a game or practice my body would be sore as hell and it was freezing outside, there was nothing better than getting in my buddy's car, smoking some sweet chiba and letting the pain melt away in a euphoria of diffuse heat, after which we'd ride out to sample some delicious Chicago cuisine (hot dogs, pizza). To me, that's what life is all about. Instead of war, we should just play sports.

Scucca

Septic ponce aint a hallelujah moment!