I heard Troy Aikman comment, "if you want to fix concussions in football, go back to leather helmets." (couldn't find the citation but found another link ) Anyway, this got me to thinking about Rugby. The more I watch rugby the more I see it as a wonderful game. With all the shenanigans and controversies over the years I wish Rugby was on every Sunday. Do any of you like Rugby? Who do you pull for and why?

When I was vacationing in Italy on Uncle Sugars dime, I watched the local rugby. One of my buddies was a former Massilon Tiger, a NE Ohio HS football team which in those days was pretty close to semi pro.
He was drafted to play rugby and although he was tough and of the "play through the pain" school, he got his bell rung more than once.
At the time I did not understand why rugby was not more popular in the US and still dont.
The best part of it was that ordinary locals played it, kinda like our adult softball leagues.

I played on the Oklahoma State “club” team in 1976. Loved it.
I liked the fact that if you had the ball you were the quarterback, the running back, the punter and sideways passer. Your choice.
Also, I liked the beer drinking after the game.

I played for a long time after getting out of the service, so got a late start at it. Played for the Portland Jesters and later the Old Puget Sound Beach Rugby Dogs, just club teams.
I played loose-head prop mostly.
Eventually I just bruised out of it. I couldn't ever find a tie that matched my face after about the third week of the season.

Rugby. "A ruffians game played by gentlemen."

I played in a Rugby Union league for 5 years in the Southern Maryland area in the late 70's and early 80's. Usually as a Number 8 which fit me well playing an outside linebacker in football and always expecting to be the first or one of the first to the ball. I quit when I had to move out of the area for work. Enjoyed the game a great deal and the parties were epic. Playing close to DC, we hosted a number of foreign teams and we had a number of UK and Irish player on our side. Great times! Hard work but injuries were rare at least for me. Never broke a bone in Rugby.

I'don't follow any team regularly but when I get the chance and something comes up I try to tune in. Much easier to do when I am in Europe.

Rugby is a great game. Played it until I was in my 40s. No sitting down for a rest every 45 seconds, no stoppages for injury (unless there's blood - lol) and 80 minutes on the pitch with a 10 minute break at half time.

I enjoy me some Bath, and some Leicester, but any team is worth a watch.

The Sevens tournament they show on ESPN and other channels is good fun, but the 15 man Union code is my game.

I really prefer Sevens. There’s no turning away, every minute matters.

My son was on the Penn State Rugby team in the mid 90s, then he stopped when the University downgraded them from varsity to club status.

I do know that no matter how many friends you have with you, and no matter how tough you all think you are, do not get into a bar fight with a rugby team.

My son played high school rugby and is currently on a men's club team. At 6'4" and 240 or so, he is a natural-born lock.

It is a great sport. All action, all the time. No stopping the action. And good action - fast, running, tackling, kicking - and that is just in the scrum.

I think Americans would like Rugby more, if they knew it better.

(And I dislike Sevens - all run and gun, not as much defense. The games are over before they start.)

My across the street neighbor's son played rugby. The boy stands 6'6" and is thick. Not too many years ago I heard some strange zombie chain dragging noises out in the street. It went up the street and then back again over and over. Finally, unable to determine what that noise was I peeked out of my window. It was Shawn dragging three concrete filled tires laid flat and harnessed with chains to his upper back up and down the street. His legs pumped and he huffed and heaved for quite some time. He did that regularly through the training season. He told me once that if rugby were easy, they'd call it football. I watched him play in Park City, Utah. It was brutal.

I played on the B team of the Ohio State football Rugby club in the late 90s.

It was a fun, brutal game.
Broke my nose a couple of times, along with a few bruises, bumps and my bell rung a couple of times.

I thought about playing again when I lived in Richmond and now live in Durham but those days are over for me.

I played prop on the San Jose State club team in the mid 90s. We played Cal ( perennial national champs with full scholarship players) and Stanford and other local colleges we’d always get whipped since we were just a club/intramural team. But rugby is fun and what other sport do all the players form both sides have drinks together after in the field. It’s a dang lot of running that’s for sure.

A young lady in my office played on her college women’s team.

I started playing when I was 15 when my father was stationed in England in 1980. I had the fortune to play for the #1 schoolboys team in England, Scotland, Wales and Western Europe. St Brendan’s College in Brislington. I was the first, possibly the only yank to play for a couple county select sides, Bath Colts among other Caps I earned. Harvard won the collegiate tournament and we played them. Not only did we humble them on the field, we as high school kids out drank them later that evening as well

After returning to the US I continued to play in the DC area and with Battleship RFC in Mobile. My career ended at the east coast trials playing for the South Select side (2 matches away from Eagles selection) by a cheap kick coming off a scrum playing tight side wing forward (I usually played second row or 8) and had my tibia snapped. An indication on how dirty the North was playing is reflected is my hookers right ankle was put by his left ear behind his back a few minutes later

Love the game to this day still

I loved playing football as a kid. But I do not really enjoy it now. I really hate the 'blowing up' other players bringing the boom.

I just watched this video, I think i need to watch it a few more times to get it:

Watching the World Cup semifinals now. I must admit however that I remain utterly clueless about rules and strategy.

A guy who shot with me during IPSC matches also played Rugby. He was built like a forcefield latrine, but eventually had to give it up because of knee injuries.

flashguy

Just watched the movie "The Brighton Miracle" about Japan's effort to improve its rugby reputation from a humiliating loss of 145-16 and year after year of World Cup disappointment.

Even if one isn't into rugby (and I am and have played in college), it is a well done and incredibly motivating movie.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: marksman41,

I played a "friendly" game with guys from work once when I lived in the UK years ago. I made two fundamental errors in judgement: 1) I was the only American playing with a bunch of Scots and 2) I was the only engineer playing with a bunch of welders and pipe fitters. Long story short, I got the snot beat out of me after which the guys refused to let me pay for beer that night.

TMK there has never been a rugby match anywhere in the UK, even between bitter rivals, that needed a police presence to make sure that the fans didn't try and kill or maim each other after the match.

This is VERY common with football 'fans'. One football game a couple of years ago required 400 extra police from all over the southern counties...