Rugby....

[adlep]

That must hurt!

US Football (aka "HandEgg") is much, much easier...

 

[Mr Pickles]

Yeah. I had little respect or interest until someone sat down with me at a college event and explained the rules to me. Pretty intense stuff.

 

[adlep]

Australian HandEgg!

 

[silverpig]

I played rugby for a few years. It's not nearly as bad as it looks because you're hitting other people, and people are soft. There are also rules about how you can hit, and about half of the hardest hits in that video are illegal.

1. You're not allowed to hit above the guy's armpits. There were quite a few clotheslines and hits to the head in that video.
2. You have to at least make the attempt to "wrap up" and tackle the guy. You can't just put your shoulder into him and knock him over.

The vast majority of the tackles in rugby are shoulder to waist tackles, wrap up, then pull the guy down.

edit: to be fair though, I did mess up by shoulder and knee a few times playing rugby from hits, and I had 2 concussions as well. Oh, and one time I hit a guy head on and my contact lens popped straight out of my eye (it kept going and I stopped).

 

[Cerpin Taxt]

Originally posted by: adlep

That must hurt!

US Football (aka "HandEgg") is much, much easier...

Those are big hits, to be sure, but unless I'm mistaken most of those are from rugby league games, as opposed to rugby union games. I play rugby union, and in my opinion it is the more physical game.

 

[sdifox]

Rugby is actually a lot safer than American Football.

 

[Cerpin Taxt]

Originally posted by: sdifox
Rugby is actually a lot safer than American Football.

I usually explain to people that while I don't wear a helmet and pads like American footbal players, my opponents don't have helmets and pads, either. So there's a lot more care and regard for personal safety on both sides. Like silverpig explained, you don't see players leaving their feet as they dive into tackles as much as you do in American football.

 

[Lonyo]

Originally posted by: Cerpin Taxt

Originally posted by: sdifox
Rugby is actually a lot safer than American Football.

I usually explain to people that while I don't wear a helmet and pads like American footbal players, my opponents don't have helmets and pads, either. So there's a lot more care and regard for personal safety on both sides. Like silverpig explained, you don't see players leaving their feet as they dive into tackles as much as you do in American football.

Also you're on the pitch for 80 minutes, with a 10~15min break at half time, and for most of that 80 minutes you actually have to be doing stuff.
Even if the hits don't all hurt as much/more, you are on the pitch for longer.

 

[sdifox]

Originally posted by: Lonyo

Originally posted by: Cerpin Taxt

Originally posted by: sdifox
Rugby is actually a lot safer than American Football.

I usually explain to people that while I don't wear a helmet and pads like American footbal players, my opponents don't have helmets and pads, either. So there's a lot more care and regard for personal safety on both sides. Like silverpig explained, you don't see players leaving their feet as they dive into tackles as much as you do in American football.

Also you're on the pitch for 80 minutes, with a 10~15min break at half time, and for most of that 80 minutes you actually have to be doing stuff.
Even if the hits don't all hurt as much/more, you are on the pitch for longer.

Except when you are in the scrum playing second line. Then kicks to the head are quite common

Come to think of it, when there is a pile of body on the ground, it is quite common to go in with the cleats and stomp on your opponents. Funny thing is somehow it didn't really hurt that much. I guess that is what happens when you are pumped full of adrenaline.

 

[irishScott]

Originally posted by: sdifox

Originally posted by: Lonyo

Originally posted by: Cerpin Taxt

Originally posted by: sdifox
Rugby is actually a lot safer than American Football.

I usually explain to people that while I don't wear a helmet and pads like American footbal players, my opponents don't have helmets and pads, either. So there's a lot more care and regard for personal safety on both sides. Like silverpig explained, you don't see players leaving their feet as they dive into tackles as much as you do in American football.

Also you're on the pitch for 80 minutes, with a 10~15min break at half time, and for most of that 80 minutes you actually have to be doing stuff.
Even if the hits don't all hurt as much/more, you are on the pitch for longer.

Except when you are in the scrum playing second line. Then kicks to the head are quite common

Come to think of it, when there is a pile of body on the ground, it is quite common to go in with the cleats and stomp on your opponents. Funny thing is somehow it didn't really hurt that much. I guess that is what happens when you are pumped full of adrenaline.

Haha. I can kinda relate to that. Never played Rugby, but during a sparring match I took a good hit and got a bloody (not broken) nose. Didn't even notice it at first, instructor had to point it out. Only reason I stopped was because I would bleed all over the mats.

Actually complimented the guy on the hit too. It was kinda fun...

 

[destrekor]

Originally posted by: silverpig
I played rugby for a few years. It's not nearly as bad as it looks because you're hitting other people, and people are soft. There are also rules about how you can hit, and about half of the hardest hits in that video are illegal.

1. You're not allowed to hit above the guy's armpits. There were quite a few clotheslines and hits to the head in that video.
2. You have to at least make the attempt to "wrap up" and tackle the guy. You can't just put your shoulder into him and knock him over.

The vast majority of the tackles in rugby are shoulder to waist tackles, wrap up, then pull the guy down.

edit: to be fair though, I did mess up by shoulder and knee a few times playing rugby from hits, and I had 2 concussions as well. Oh, and one time I hit a guy head on and my contact lens popped straight out of my eye (it kept going and I stopped).

Okay, hitting someone hard, but legally, won't hurt YOU all that much. But taking hard, yet legal, hits, IS going to hurt.

I've always been a little intimidated to try out rugby. Looks fun, and even if all hits in a game are legal, still makes American Football look like a roid-infested dancing party.

That's what I love about Rugby. Since at the most basic fundamentals of playstyle, it could be boiled down as a combination of Football (soccer) and American Football. YES I realize it is not really much like either, and has been around far longer than American Football. What I am saying is the most fundamental play styles: speed and endurance is necessary for basically all players, yet strength and agility is just as necessary.

I love the concept of Rugby, and would be something right up my alley, but I am also not a masochist. And I think all Rugby players are masochists.
But it's something I could get myself into shape to play. Realistically, outside of backyard football, I'm not of the physique to play football (American). And even then, I've played a few times with pretty large teams, and it's always bad. I have the speed and agility, but not the build to take hits or really deal that strong of hits when all the other players are big. I'm a light frame - 5'11" 165lbs.
I could build myself up for Rugby though, as long as I could get the endurance up. Soccer games kill me, I need frequent breaks.
But build up my upper body some, not so much as to sacrifice much speed but still increase strength (and I want to do this anyhow, regardless of sports). I almost always have focused on my legs though my whole life. I don't know why, because I've never had a true need for strong legs, but whenever I hit the gym I do prefer taxing my legs.

 

[GasX]

I played from the age of 16 through the age of ~32. In that time, I experience a few injuries:

Broken nose x 10 - once its broke, it keeps breaking (also, it's a big target...)
Broken collar bone - that effing sucked ass
sprained thumb x 5
severely sprained ankle x 2

I would call this at the very least typical of someone playing for as long as I did in Div I & Super League level in the US. Also, I would argue that if you play in the lower divisions, injuries are more likely due to the much bigger talent variance at that level and the fact that lower level teams always tend to have a few head hunting meatheads who play the game just to hurt people.

The nature of the game is that it is very violent, but that violence is somewhat constrained such that SEVERE injuries are not as common as you might imagine from watching that video.

 

[sdifox]

Originally posted by: destrekor

Okay, hitting someone hard, but legally, won't hurt YOU all that much. But taking hard, yet legal, hits, IS going to hurt.

I've always been a little intimidated to try out rugby. Looks fun, and even if all hits in a game are legal, still makes American Football look like a roid-infested dancing party.

That's what I love about Rugby. Since at the most basic fundamentals of playstyle, it could be boiled down as a combination of Football (soccer) and American Football. YES I realize it is not really much like either, and has been around far longer than American Football. What I am saying is the most fundamental play styles: speed and endurance is necessary for basically all players, yet strength and agility is just as necessary.

I love the concept of Rugby, and would be something right up my alley, but I am also not a masochist. And I think all Rugby players are masochists.
But it's something I could get myself into shape to play. Realistically, outside of backyard football, I'm not of the physique to play football (American). And even then, I've played a few times with pretty large teams, and it's always bad. I have the speed and agility, but not the build to take hits or really deal that strong of hits when all the other players are big. I'm a light frame - 5'11" 165lbs.
I could build myself up for Rugby though, as long as I could get the endurance up. Soccer games kill me, I need frequent breaks.
But build up my upper body some, not so much as to sacrifice much speed but still increase strength (and I want to do this anyhow, regardless of sports). I almost always have focused on my legs though my whole life. I don't know why, because I've never had a true need for strong legs, but whenever I hit the gym I do prefer taxing my legs.

Most of the time you get the wind knocked out of you, but you are not hurt or anything, just gasping for air for a bit.

Rugby conditioning is pure hell. That is why you don't feel a lot on the pitch and it is full body conditioning, not just strength, but flexibility, endurance and agility.

 

[Cerpin Taxt]

Originally posted by: sdifox

Originally posted by: Lonyo

Originally posted by: Cerpin Taxt

Originally posted by: sdifox
Rugby is actually a lot safer than American Football.

I usually explain to people that while I don't wear a helmet and pads like American footbal players, my opponents don't have helmets and pads, either. So there's a lot more care and regard for personal safety on both sides. Like silverpig explained, you don't see players leaving their feet as they dive into tackles as much as you do in American football.

Also you're on the pitch for 80 minutes, with a 10~15min break at half time, and for most of that 80 minutes you actually have to be doing stuff.
Even if the hits don't all hurt as much/more, you are on the pitch for longer.

Except when you are in the scrum playing second line. Then kicks to the head are quite common

I play second row, and in college I was the bane of sloppy front row opponents. If they weren't tight their heads would push down past the shoulders of our front row, and wind up right above the back of my head, where I would usually deliver a few stern rear headbutts to their faces. :evil:

Come to think of it, when there is a pile of body on the ground, it is quite common to go in with the cleats and stomp on your opponents. Funny thing is somehow it didn't really hurt that much. I guess that is what happens when you are pumped full of adrenaline.

Yeah. I try not to rake too much unless they're in the way of the ball coming out, and especially if they're not releasing.

 

[MichaelD]

I've never played Rugby but have played (American) football with equipment. Rules, shmooles. Refs don't see half the shit they're supposed to.

IMO, Rugby is the Ultimate Man Sport. Basically, it's American football without pads or a helmet. Tackle football with no pads or helmet. :Q

What could be more manly than that? Short of arming the runner with with a sword, not much. :beer:

 

[GasX]

On more than one occasion, I have seen a ref try and match suspects to victims by comparing cleat patterns on the suspects boots to cleat marks on the victim's back...

:laugh:

 

[Oyeve]

I have 10 metal pins and screws in my ankle from a rugby match about 30 years ago. Shattered my ankle after a massive tackle/pile-up, kept playing too, which probably made the ankle worse. 4 months of rehab. Fun. Now I am pegged everytime I go to the airport cuz I beep and have a beard and long hair. Really sucks.

 

[eits]

it is. i used to play for a club team back in maryland during high school. it's a painful sport. anyone who says otherwise is full of shit.

 

[Cerpin Taxt]

Some good fun here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...W0_uHk&feature=related

 

[Baked]

Now that's a real men's sport. Open field tackle w/o pads and helmets. I wish they have that here in the US.

 

[Gibsons]

I like rugby even though I've never played and barely understand the rules. Although I played a lot of tackle-the-man/smear-the-queer as a kid, which doesn't seem too different.

When I was in the UK for a few weeks, it was the only sport I could watch. I remember seeing seeing one guy down on his knees, guy from the other team comes up behind him and rakes his spikes down the guys back. Awesome. :beer:

Europe should trade in soccer for rugby.

 

[tenthumbs]

God I miss playing. Best 13 years of my sporting life. Few sports involve so much physical violence followed by a keg shared by all participants. A true team sport.

 

[Cerpin Taxt]

Originally posted by: Baked
Now that's a real men's sport. Open field tackle w/o pads and helmets. I wish they have that here in the US.

They do. I just came out with the Seattle team this spring. They have a Super League team but I'm just playing on the 2nd side.

 

[silverpig]

Originally posted by: destrekor
Okay, hitting someone hard, but legally, won't hurt YOU all that much. But taking hard, yet legal, hits, IS going to hurt.

Actually, I'd say the opposite is true. When you are running with the ball you are allowed to pull your arms in, lead with your shoulders or head, and plow through people. It's really easy to take a hit this way, even the hardest ones. Also, if someone hits you legally, they're doing so right into your center of mass, which is the easiest way to take a hit. The worst football hits are when someone is looking back, is off balance, and a defender puts a shoulder right under the guy's jaw coming from the other direction. This will not only knock the guy backwards, but it'll cause him to rotate backwards as well, slamming his head into the ground. This type of hit is totally illegal in rugby.

All of the most painful hits I ever had in rugby occurred when a big fast guy carrying the ball ran straight at me. I'd put my shoulder right into his gut, wrap around him, and take all the force of the impact on that one arm. I sprained my shoulder pretty good a few times doing that.

I also took my fair share of hard hits when I was running with the ball, but because the force was all on my center of mass and his one shoulder, the other guy always took the worst of it.

Oh, and I played fullback, so most of the hits on me were after long full speed returns from fielding their kicks, and most of the hits I gave out were open field tackles on guys who broke through our lines.

I do miss running a guy down in the open field, diving at him from the side, feeling my shoulder hit his hipbone and taking him down while both running full speed

 

[GasX]

Originally posted by: silverpig
I do miss running a guy down in the open field, diving at him from the side, feeling my shoulder hit his hipbone and taking him down while both running full speed

You just brought a tear or reminiscence to my eye...

(former #11 and #15)