Rugby - what's the attraction?

[screenexile]

I like Rugby Union a lot but, for reasons I struggle to understand, I can't abide the League version. It might be that they go so far to eliminate the stop-start shortcomings of Union that they create something artificial. Counting tackles. The back-heel thing that I find ludicrous. (But why? Is it more ludicrous than a scrum?) And it doesn't seem to accommodate the breadth of skills, or of physiques, that Union does. It seems like a makey-uppey thing to me. But maybe I was hopelessly prejudiced by years of Eddie-Waring-polluted Saturday afternoons that seemed like a bizarre mixture of Last Of The Summer Wine and bad sport.

Is it more ludicrous than putting your toe under the ball? Or the fact that you get penalised for not kicking a free far enough away?

I'm not having a go it's just that all sports have their quirks and it's a matter of respecting that.

[Hardy]

I agree entirely. Ludicrousness is subjective and even inconsistent at that. And I'm all for respect, if we exclude basketball.

[ross4life]

Wouldn't be top of my list of sports but still very watchable 5 nations or 6 nations as it's known now always generates a interest. The world cup especially New Zealand in full flow are a joy to watch,the haka never grows old & Jonah Lomu was one of the best ever. I'd say the best ever sports commentator was Bill McLaren.

On another note I've seen a number of our underage talent choose Rugby over GAA for example we lost number key players off the U21 team that played in this year All Ireland final & at other levels a number of players are considering the switch over. Of course i wish them all well in what they do but a small county like ours can't afford to lose talent & the lure of professional game is too much to ignore.

[trileacman]

I like Rugby Union a lot but, for reasons I struggle to understand, I can't abide the League version. It might be that they go so far to eliminate the stop-start shortcomings of Union that they create something artificial. Counting tackles. The back-heel thing that I find ludicrous. (But why? Is it more ludicrous than a scrum?) And it doesn't seem to accommodate the breadth of skills, or of physiques, that Union does. It seems like a makey-uppey thing to me. But maybe I was hopelessly prejudiced by years of Eddie-Waring-polluted Saturday afternoons that seemed like a bizarre mixture of Last Of The Summer Wine and bad sport.

Same, I'm not the greatest rugby union follower but I detest rugby league with an absolute passion. It's just a game devoid of any tempo. The guys playing it are built like houses but yet they can't burst through a tackle or really put their physicality on show? That and the fact the basic formula for a successful player is size*speed. Also is it just me or is alot the running done at half pace? As if it's a warm-up for a more intense, faster game starting in 10mins.

[trileacman]

Rugby Pro's:

- Caters for all sizes and skill sets.
- a very detailed game with a great variety of moves and skills.
- The awarding of points in HC, there is as much tension/excitement in watching a team try to get to 4 tries or come back to within 7 points. Matches that have reached an obvious win/lose result at half-time are still interesting, I've stopped watching too many GAA matches as its obvious after 30 minutes who's going to win.
- The various arts of the game, almost distinct to rugby union = tap-tackle, line-out catches, snipping, mauling, dummy pass, drop kicks, broken field play, garryowen's, scrumaging etc.
- A game that combines some of the fastest men with some of the strongest men, all being directed by some exceptionally skilled thinkers and footballers.

[Fear Bun Na Sceilpe]

I dont mind rugby to be honest. I really like the physical contact aspect of it. I would watch Ireland but dont htink I would go too much out my way to watch another team.
I like sports in the following order of preference;

Hurling
Gaelic Football/Rugby on a par
Soccer (really hard to get a good game and I think 90 mins is far too long)

[Rossfan]

On another note I've seen a number of our underage talent choose Rugby over GAA for example we lost number key players off the U21 team that played in this year All Ireland final &

Ehhhh??
I certainly hope not.

For the record I detest effin rubby. It's an abomination of a sport made worse by the large number of eejit bandwagoners who think I need to be afflicted with their second or third hand opinions of the stupoid game every time I go for a pint between October and April.
Give me a could wet windy mucky FBD game in Ballinamore or Ballinlough any day 

[5 Sams]

To paraphrase someone on here a while ago...(it might even be the Wobbler!!!...no doubt he'll put me right if I'm wrong)

.."let's all gather around in a circle and push really hard against each other". Sums it up really.

[ONeill]

Hate it.

Played by nations colonised by the Brits at the expense of native sports. A bit like having gas chambers as reminders in countries the Germans annexed.

[Myles Na G.]

Hate it.

Played by nations colonised by the Brits at the expense of native sports. A bit like having gas chambers as reminders in countries the Germans annexed.

Since native sports tend to be crap (American football, Australian rules, Gaelic games  , petanque, shinty, etc etc etc), then more power to the Brits.

[Eamonnca1]

I agree entirely. Ludicrousness is subjective and even inconsistent at that. And I'm all for respect, if we exclude basketball.

Yer head's cut!  Basketball's a great game to watch. And they usually seem to be tight games with only a point or two in it at the end - nothing like seeing that last-minute three-pointer going in from halfway down the court.

[Eamonnca1]

Hate it.

Played by nations colonised by the Brits at the expense of native sports. A bit like having gas chambers as reminders in countries the Germans annexed.

Since native sports tend to be crap (American football, Australian rules, Gaelic games  , petanque, shinty, etc etc etc), then more power to the Brits.

All sports are "native", they had to be codified somewhere for the first time. The only reason cricket, rugby and soccer spread worldwide is that their aficionados did a better job of exporting them to the rest of the world and getting locals to play.  It's not because they're superior sports (IMHO there's no such thing as a superior sport with the exception of hurling), it's because they were better organised and better promoted in the early days of codified sport, now they're grandfathered in as the world standard.

[Eamonnca1]

Hate it.

Played by nations colonised by the Brits at the expense of native sports. A bit like having gas chambers as reminders in countries the Germans annexed.

I'm curious - do you hate snooker as well?

[turk]

I love rugby league. It's class. As an 80 minute match for action and entertainment it is hard to top.

The super 15 in union is quite good. Some good skills on show in those matches. If you watch a Northern hemisphere match after it is quite a contrast. Many union matches have some good bits of action condensed by lots of lads rolling about. Some of it is rubbish.

Rugby in Ireland have hit the mark with the tag rugby as an enjoyable pastime that lots of people regardless of skill or ability level can participate in without slogging about training 4 nights a week. This is something lacking in some other sports.

[Eamonnca1]

How do northern hemisphere RL matches compare to southern ones, Turk?