Does Rugby Have A Chance To Succeed In America?
It’s extremely hard for a sport to infiltrate any country where it’s not already a national pastime, but by crikey Australian actor Russell Crowe is going to give it his best shot when it comes to educating those bloody yank drongos about his sport of choice, rugby.
Crowe is the owner of a team in the Australian NRL (National Rugby League), the South Sydney Rabbitohs, and if he gets his way, they’ll be playing in Las Vegas every year as part of a World Cup Challenge featuring the best teams from Australia and England.
In case you’ve never seen a game of rugby before—or you have, but had no idea what was going on—here’s a quick “Idiot’s Guide to Rugby.” We’ll put it in pseudo-NFL terms to help wrap your head around the concepts.
Each team has six downs (in rugby they’re simply called tackles) to work with.
Passing is laterals only—a forward pass or forward fumble results in a turnover.
No blocking.
To score you need to break the plane of the end zone and then ground the ball (you’d call it a touchdown, in rugby it’s called a “try”).
Without getting into the nitty-gritties, that’s essentially it. Oh, and there’s minimal padding used for protection on the player’s bodies. Also, everyone plays both ends of the field, offense and defense.
While soccer has had trouble breaking into the U.S., with the main complaints being the lack of scoring, could rugby—with its brutal, physical play and NFL-compatible scoring—ever establish a foothold in the land of Kobe Bryant, Tom Brady and that guy on the Miami Heat who makes a lot of excuses for losing?
Check out some NRL big hits below!
You’re getting your sports mixed up, that’s not Rugby it’s Rugby League. They’re two very different games with very different rules. Rugby League (as you’ve described above) probably is easier for Americans to understand than Rugby.
why wouldn’t it? Rugby is the greatest!
I would hope that some americans would get enjoyment out of watching RUGBY LEAGUE. Please do not confuse RUGBY LEAGUE with RUGBY YAWNION(union). League is fast and action packed and the fastest growing team sport in the world. Union is for drunk college kids who think they need to prove how tough they are. League is for an athlete to test his body and mind to the ultimate degree. Anybody playing union in the US and take themselves seriously as an athlete? Don’t test yourself in the kiddie section, come and test yourself in rugby league. It’s faster, more action and bigger hits! RUGBY LEAGUE over RUGBY UNION anyday. Watch both and see the difference!
I didn’t bring up rugby league/rugby union because I didn’t want to confuse the US-based readers of this site who have no idea about the differences. But yes, this article is obviously talking about rugby league.
I wish RL people would not have a go at RU. It is great that RL is getting some coverage in the US via Russell Crowe but to be honest we are coming over like some real jerks when disucssing RU. Yes it is frustrating that RL does have the profile of RU around the world but making it out to be inferior is not the way to go. Hope people in the US get to look at RL not just for the big hits but the way the ball is moved aroubd & the great try’s (touchdowns) that happen. I like most sports including the NFL so I am sure there are many similar people in the US.
It is a bit confusing (re: rugby league/rugby union) but as Leon said, the majority of American readers don’t know there’s two forms of the sport at this point anyway.
Being from inner west Sydney, I’m a rugby league girl to the death (Wests Tigers stand up!) so I’d LOVE to see it grow over here. Plus I STILL can’t seem to figure out American football, even after living here for four years now
~Boss Lady
It needs to be established that this is Rugby League we are talking about and not Rugby Union. Union is generally for fatter and slower kiddies who don’t want to do a lot of work and we must not let Americans think that Rugby League is the same game. Union is okay, but not a patch on Rugby League, so please don’t confuse. It should have been stated at the outset. These are not the biggest hits either, but some good ones amongst them.
A recent medical report came out which stated that RUGBY LEAGUE players, in particular those playing in the National Rugby League in Australia, had an almost iron-like bone density – due largely to the physicality of the game. As players are both lining up in offense and defence and using their bodies to collide with runners and make big hits, during the course of the season, that density is worn away bit by bit. Then during the offseason they need to rebuild it with weight training and routines so that by the next season, their density in fact INCREASES. The game either breaks them and hardens them.
It really is one of the hardest sports on Earth.
C’MON SON! Rugby IS Rugby UNION!
You went to a Private School – you should know the difference!
I think Rugby League would take off better in US than Union – It’s a simpler game and faster too.
I think it would be an easier transition for Americans to embrace League than Union – despite Union already having a foothold.
Good on Russ for trying to expand the game!