Rugby - what's the attraction?

[BennyCake]

I'm starting this thread as it has always baffled me why anyone would like the game of Rugby. Yes, I know, each to their own and all that. But seriously, what's the attraction?

I'm a Gaelic football man. Great to play, great to watch. Now, I know alot has been said about the recent negative tactics, and the game has suffered as a spectacle. Maybe it has. Maybe it hasn't. But, you have great catches, great scores, skill, block-downs, keepers plucking the ball out of the top corner, a lung-bursting solo run, scores from narrow angles, the outside of the boot. You get the idea...

Hurlings a great game too: fantastic speed, skill, guts, passion, scores, sideline cuts, great stick-work etc etc. Even soccer has it's moments. Great goals, skill, passes, saves etc.

Now, Rugby... erm, nope, I can't think of anything good or interesting about it. It lacks any fluidity, too stop/start, throwing the ball (who thought that one up?). I don't get it. I really don't. They look like a bunch of rutting stags during the season, charging into each other, throwing a ball backwards to go forwards. A set of goalposts but you can score in the corner. Seriously, if an Irishman had invented the game, he'd have been considered a loon.

It seems reasonably popular in this country. A dozen or two people seem to like it. Personally, I'd draw the curtains if there was a match playing outside.

So, can some people please tell me their own reasons for liking the game, because frankly I'm bemused.

[Windmill abu]

Tosser WUM.

Please end this thread before it gets off the ground

I'm a Gaelic football man. Great to play, great to watch.

Try Tyrone Div 3 Reserve

[thebigfella]

I'm starting this thread as it has always baffled me why anyone would like the game of Rugby. Yes, I know, each to their own and all that. But seriously, what's the attraction?

I'm a Gaelic football man. Great to play, great to watch. Now, I know alot has been said about the recent negative tactics, and the game has suffered as a spectacle. Maybe it has. Maybe it hasn't. But, you have great catches, great scores, skill, block-downs, keepers plucking the ball out of the top corner, a lung-bursting solo run, scores from narrow angles, the outside of the boot. You get the idea...

Hurlings a great game too: fantastic speed, skill, guts, passion, scores, sideline cuts, great stick-work etc etc. Even soccer has it's moments. Great goals, skill, passes, saves etc.

Now, Rugby... erm, nope, I can't think of anything good or interesting about it. It lacks any fluidity, too stop/start, throwing the ball (who thought that one up?). I don't get it. I really don't. They look like a bunch of rutting stags during the season, charging into each other, throwing a ball backwards to go forwards. A set of goalposts but you can score in the corner. Seriously, if an Irishman had invented the game, he'd have been considered a loon.

It seems reasonably popular in this country. A dozen or two people seem to like it. Personally, I'd draw the curtains if there was a match playing outside.

So, can some people please tell me their own reasons for liking the game, because frankly I'm bemused.

In your opinion.

[BennyCake]

t**ser WUM.

Please end this thread before it gets off the ground

I'm a Gaelic football man. Great to play, great to watch.

Try Tyrone Div 3 Reserve

I'm not winding anyone up. I'm interested in the thinking of the rugby fraternity on here. If that's not you, then fine. But, don't comment.

[Eamonnca1]

Go easy lads, it's a legitimate question.

I'm not an expert on rugby but here's what I take away from it.  As with all sports there's the uncertainty of what's going to happen next and which option the players are going to go for. In Gaelic games it's generally a choice between a high-risk but more rewarding shot at a goal, or a lower risk but lower rewarding shot at a point.

In rugby you have the option of advancing the ball up the field by passing (where you make slower progress but have a better chance of keeping possession) or kicking into touch (where you make faster progress but run the risk of losing possession at the line-out or whatever you call that jumpy-uppy thing).  There's also the more difficult but higher scoring option of the try, or the lower risk but lower rewarding drop-goal.

The start-stopping can be a bit irritating if you don't know what's going on, but as with all sports once you have a decent grasp of the rules then it all makes sense and it's not so bad.  American football is heavily interrupted, but since learning the basics (you get 4 attempts to make 10 yards) I quite enjoy watching the odd game if a local team is playing and I have a side to root for.

[Myles Na G.]

I'm starting this thread as it has always baffled me why anyone would like the game of Rugby. Yes, I know, each to their own and all that. But seriously, what's the attraction?

I'm a Gaelic football man. Great to play, great to watch. Now, I know alot has been said about the recent negative tactics, and the game has suffered as a spectacle. Maybe it has. Maybe it hasn't. But, you have great catches, great scores, skill, block-downs, keepers plucking the ball out of the top corner, a lung-bursting solo run, scores from narrow angles, the outside of the boot. You get the idea...

Hurlings a great game too: fantastic speed, skill, guts, passion, scores, sideline cuts, great stick-work etc etc. Even soccer has it's moments. Great goals, skill, passes, saves etc.

Now, Rugby... erm, nope, I can't think of anything good or interesting about it. It lacks any fluidity, too stop/start, throwing the ball (who thought that one up?). I don't get it. I really don't. They look like a bunch of rutting stags during the season, charging into each other, throwing a ball backwards to go forwards. A set of goalposts but you can score in the corner. Seriously, if an Irishman had invented the game, he'd have been considered a loon.

It seems reasonably popular in this country. A dozen or two people seem to like it. Personally, I'd draw the curtains if there was a match playing outside.

So, can some people please tell me their own reasons for liking the game, because frankly I'm bemused.

This week sees the the start of rugby's Heineken Cup competition, which will be watched on tv by millions of people in many different countries around the world. Gaelic football remains largely unloved beyond these shores, except by little pockets of Irish ex pats. Go figure.

[Goats Do Shave]

Like any sport, it's the competitiveness that attracts me.

The massive hits all over the field, the hand skills such as the unexpected off load in a tackle.

At the top level the tactics are compelling!

[michaelg]

I'm starting this thread as it has always baffled me why anyone would like the game of Rugby. Yes, I know, each to their own and all that. But seriously, what's the attraction?

I'm a Gaelic football man. Great to play, great to watch. Now, I know alot has been said about the recent negative tactics, and the game has suffered as a spectacle. Maybe it has. Maybe it hasn't. But, you have great catches, great scores, skill, block-downs, keepers plucking the ball out of the top corner, a lung-bursting solo run, scores from narrow angles, the outside of the boot. You get the idea...

Hurlings a great game too: fantastic speed, skill, guts, passion, scores, sideline cuts, great stick-work etc etc. Even soccer has it's moments. Great goals, skill, passes, saves etc.

Now, Rugby... erm, nope, I can't think of anything good or interesting about it. It lacks any fluidity, too stop/start, throwing the ball (who thought that one up?). I don't get it. I really don't. They look like a bunch of rutting stags during the season, charging into each other, throwing a ball backwards to go forwards. A set of goalposts but you can score in the corner. Seriously, if an Irishman had invented the game, he'd have been considered a loon.

It seems reasonably popular in this country. A dozen or two people seem to like it. Personally, I'd draw the curtains if there was a match playing outside.

So, can some people please tell me their own reasons for liking the game, because frankly I'm bemused.

As someone with minimal interest in GAA, I would add that Gaelic Football is not without its faults.  Never really understood how you tackle - Lots of slapping at the player with, from my non-trained eye, not much consistency from the officials as to what constitues a foul.

[thewobbler]

Rugby suffers from an odd paradox in that what makes it such a brilliant game - its rules - also provides a barrier to entry due to complexity.

To the unknowing, something as simple as out on the full would appear unnecessarily complex and unnatural. But after watching the game a whole you realise that the rules have been designed to reward skill and endeavour. Compare and contrast with soccer, where cheating is routinely rewarded.

I love the game.

[deiseach]

Like any sport, it's the competitiveness that attracts me.

The massive hits all over the field, the hand skills such as the unexpected off load in a tackle.

At the top level the tactics are compelling!

That's it. Add in the level of international competition, a tribal contest that has an only slightly broken lineage dating back to the late 19th century, and you've got something special.

[deiseach]

BennyCake, have you ever been to a rugby match? Even a middling All-Ireland league match has something to commend it because television rarely captures the intensity of a good tackle - or even a bad tackle. I've never had the opportunity to play rugby but it looks like great craic altogether.

[Declan]

A bad game of rugby is the worst  spectacle of them all (and that's after watching the Junior B county final last Sunday .)

[deiseach]

A bad game of rugby is the worst  spectacle of them all (and that's after watching the Junior B county final last Sunday .)

I used think the worst hurling game was better than the best game of any other sport. Last year's county hurling final put the last nail in that particular coffin.

[take_yer_points]

On the rules, there's something I don't understand about rugby. From a penalty, the attacking team can kick for touch - sometimes as a result the attacking team have the ball at the line out and sometimes the defending team do - I'm assuming the difference is the distance travelled/which side of the line the ball lands but am not too sure of the exact rule. Can anyone help?

[moysider]

On the rules, there's something I don't understand about rugby. From a penalty, the attacking team can kick for touch - sometimes as a result the attacking team have the ball at the line out and sometimes the defending team do - I'm assuming the difference is the distance travelled/which side of the line the ball lands but am not too sure of the exact rule. Can anyone help?

The attacking team always does.

Great sport rugby. Great to play - great to watch.