Recently I took time to watch several Rugby games and became convinced it is a better sport than American and Canadian football and a helluva lot less drama and silly politics.
Without a firm grasp of the rules or scoring procedures what is most appealing is the raw masculinity and brutality of the contest. The players wore no protective pads, artificial shoulders or cumbersome helmets. The play proceeded without numerous timeouts and commercial breaks. Two halves make up the game, and the play clock ticks from zero to the forty minute end of play with a little extra time added on beyond the regulation period. When there is an injury play is stopped while a guy with a handbag runs onto the field and performs first aid. The exchange of blood and other bodily fluids is ongoing and rugby players swing from being offensive to defensive players without huge waves of substitutes. Play involves a fatter oval than our traditional football, and the players are allowed to kick, backwards pass, bounce, and carry the ball in their attempts to score goals. Points are earned by getting the ball past the goal post and kicking it through the post from different angles. Kicks are allowed after scoring and at other times when a penalty is declared. Forward passes are forbidden, and a curious formation known as a scrum is employed from time to time to determine ball possession. The scrum is an odd joining of opposing team member bodies in what appears as a giant moving dome or turtle of men locked in a tug of war. Tripping, punching, kicking, shoving, head butts, and piling on appear to be acceptable behavior.
I observed no cheerleaders and a refreshing absence of replays and referee meetings and no player ejections for naughty behavior. When a goal is scored referees run about waving flags. If a rare incident of player misbehavior is detected the officials seem to conduct brief on field counseling sessions with the offenders.
Last night I watched one exciting match between an English and French team narrated in Spanish. The French players wore snappy blue outfits with red and white trim. Their jerseys were decorated with a red rooster emblem. The English chaps wore bright white outfits which resembled under wear save the blue numbers on their shirts. A few players wore an odd piece of headgear which looked like a cross between a 1910 padded football helmet and an Esther Williams bathing cap. The more stylish French fellows won the game and the fashion competition. Well into the first half the Brits had blood, mud, and other strange colored smears all over their white costumes.
In my opinion, rugby is a better form of our football blended with the best of boxing and real wrestling. It is a game best left to physical brutes capable of constant running and body blows. I think it has the potential to become America's next great sport if it can pass the niceness standards imposed by Bob Costas, liberals, and Congress.
Without a firm grasp of the rules or scoring procedures what is most appealing is the raw masculinity and brutality of the contest. The players wore no protective pads, artificial shoulders or cumbersome helmets. The play proceeded without numerous timeouts and commercial breaks. Two halves make up the game, and the play clock ticks from zero to the forty minute end of play with a little extra time added on beyond the regulation period. When there is an injury play is stopped while a guy with a handbag runs onto the field and performs first aid. The exchange of blood and other bodily fluids is ongoing and rugby players swing from being offensive to defensive players without huge waves of substitutes. Play involves a fatter oval than our traditional football, and the players are allowed to kick, backwards pass, bounce, and carry the ball in their attempts to score goals. Points are earned by getting the ball past the goal post and kicking it through the post from different angles. Kicks are allowed after scoring and at other times when a penalty is declared. Forward passes are forbidden, and a curious formation known as a scrum is employed from time to time to determine ball possession. The scrum is an odd joining of opposing team member bodies in what appears as a giant moving dome or turtle of men locked in a tug of war. Tripping, punching, kicking, shoving, head butts, and piling on appear to be acceptable behavior.
I observed no cheerleaders and a refreshing absence of replays and referee meetings and no player ejections for naughty behavior. When a goal is scored referees run about waving flags. If a rare incident of player misbehavior is detected the officials seem to conduct brief on field counseling sessions with the offenders.
Last night I watched one exciting match between an English and French team narrated in Spanish. The French players wore snappy blue outfits with red and white trim. Their jerseys were decorated with a red rooster emblem. The English chaps wore bright white outfits which resembled under wear save the blue numbers on their shirts. A few players wore an odd piece of headgear which looked like a cross between a 1910 padded football helmet and an Esther Williams bathing cap. The more stylish French fellows won the game and the fashion competition. Well into the first half the Brits had blood, mud, and other strange colored smears all over their white costumes.
In my opinion, rugby is a better form of our football blended with the best of boxing and real wrestling. It is a game best left to physical brutes capable of constant running and body blows. I think it has the potential to become America's next great sport if it can pass the niceness standards imposed by Bob Costas, liberals, and Congress.
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