# Quarterback v. Out Half (Rugby) and other questions **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [November 24, 2009, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quarterback-v-out-half-rugby-and-other-questions/518725 "2009-11-24T02:00:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2009, 10:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quarterback-v-out-half-rugby-and-other-questions/518725/41 "2009-11-27T10:21:14Z")
I’ve actually been interested to see how rugby is played for a while but I can’t ever find a game, even on random times on ESPN. Is there some way an American can see the two forms of rugby somehow? Not necesarily live games - I’ll watch old ones just to see what it’s like. ---
**Author:** ![FrWindyShephardHenderson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a9a28c/32.png) [@FrWindyShephardHenderson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FrWindyShephardHenderson)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2009, 10:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quarterback-v-out-half-rugby-and-other-questions/518725/42 "2009-11-27T10:47:08Z")
> [@SenorBeef](#): > > I’ve actually been interested to see how rugby is played for a while but I can’t ever find a game, even on random times on ESPN. Is there some way an American can see the two forms of rugby somehow? Not necesarily live games - I’ll watch old ones just to see what it’s like. There’s an Irish company Setanta that specialises in providing European sports to Irish ex pats in the states. It shows a lot of Rugby Union, but I’m not sure about League since it isn’t that big in Ireland. Here’s the link [http://www.setanta.com/us](http://www.setanta.com/us) Of course if you just want to have a quick look then youtube has a lot of videos of both codes. Plus [this](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invictus_%28film%29) should be out soon. ---
**Author:** ![Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cc9497/32.png) [@Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt.Ridley_s_Shooting_Party)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2009, 11:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quarterback-v-out-half-rugby-and-other-questions/518725/43 "2009-11-27T11:21:05Z")
> [@SenorBeef](#): > > I’ve actually been interested to see how rugby is played for a while but I can’t ever find a game, even on random times on ESPN. Is there some way an American can see the two forms of rugby somehow? Not necesarily live games - I’ll watch old ones just to see what it’s like. Do you have access to BBC iPlayer in the states? The ongoing Autumn internationals are up there. I was at the Australia defeat to Scotland last weekend, so I’ll recommend you give that one a miss (the game wasn’t very exciting, apart from the end). ---
**Author:** ![amanset](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8dc957/32.png) [@amanset](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amanset)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2009, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quarterback-v-out-half-rugby-and-other-questions/518725/44 "2009-11-27T14:08:47Z")
> [@Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](#): > > Do you have access to BBC iPlayer in the states? The ongoing Autumn internationals are up there. I was at the Australia defeat to Scotland last weekend, so I’ll recommend you give that one a miss (the game wasn’t very exciting, apart from the end). The iPlayer isn’t officially available outside the UK. Of course you could do some shenanigans with proxies (I hear tor is good for that) but otherwise you’re out of luck. I have heard that there are other places on the internet where these things can be downloaded by even less legal mechanisms … ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2009, 10:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quarterback-v-out-half-rugby-and-other-questions/518725/45 "2009-11-29T10:36:46Z")
> [@SenorBeef](#): > > I’ve actually been interested to see how rugby is played for a while but I can’t ever find a game, even on random times on ESPN. Is there some way an American can see the two forms of rugby somehow? Not necesarily live games - I’ll watch old ones just to see what it’s like. It gets broadcast on one of the goofy fox channels, like FoxSoccer or FoxWorld or whatever. It’s buried around the obscure sports channels, possibly near ESPN Classic or Verve. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2009, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quarterback-v-out-half-rugby-and-other-questions/518725/46 "2009-11-29T16:53:11Z")
Fox Sports always televises all the Rugby World Cup matches. The next RWC isn’t until 2011, but until then they also cover RWC qualifying. You’ll have to DVR it, for the most part- the broadcasts tend to be very late at night or very early in the morning. ---
**Author:** ![lisiate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f05b48/32.png) [@lisiate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lisiate)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2009, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quarterback-v-out-half-rugby-and-other-questions/518725/47 "2009-11-29T21:57:12Z")
I found **mhendo’s** analysis of the differing games quite convincing, but I think this thread has avoided falling into a ‘which game is tougher’ slagging match. For **Senor Beef** , here’s the 2011 World Cup schedule from [wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Rugby_World_Cup). The USA has qualified and is in pool C with Ireland, Italy and Australia. One more European team will also be in the same pool, the runner-up of the European Nations Cup (which runs until March 2010). On current standings this looks likely to be one of Portugal, Russia or perhaps Georgia (although I think Georgia will win the ENC). If you’re looking for a good recent game, last weekend’s France-All Blacks match was a cracker. I would say it’s the most watchable of this year’s Autumn internationals. ---
**Author:** ![Cugel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cugel/32/1199_2.png) [@Cugel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cugel)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2009, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quarterback-v-out-half-rugby-and-other-questions/518725/48 "2009-11-30T02:41:31Z")
Yiou can watch NRL games (rugby league) here, assuming they aren’t region crippled or anything. [http://www.nrl.com/video/matcharchive20052009/tabid/10637/default.aspx](http://www.nrl.com/video/matcharchive20052009/tabid/10637/default.aspx) (it defaults to 2010, so select another year on the tab bar thingy) e.g. 2009 Grand Final [http://bigpondvideo.com/nrl/212755](http://bigpondvideo.com/nrl/212755) Some other tidbits here [http://www.nrl.com/playwin/hittryoftheyear/tabid/10778/default.aspx](http://www.nrl.com/playwin/hittryoftheyear/tabid/10778/default.aspx) (they wouldn’t work for me though) ---
**Author:** ![tonyfop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/85f322/32.png) [@tonyfop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tonyfop)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2009, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quarterback-v-out-half-rugby-and-other-questions/518725/49 "2009-11-30T03:45:08Z")
> [@mhendo](#): > > Also, in the NFL, once a ball has been either handed off to a runner or passed to a receiver, defenders can usually rest assured that if they can tackle that one player with the ball, the play will be over (obvious exceptions, such as double reverses, etc., aside). But in rugby, because (almost) everyone knows how to pass, and passing is an integral part of the game, defenders can’t all converge on the ball-0carrier without risking that he will get it to a teammate who will then take advantage of your bunching to get away. Have you been watching the wildcat? And actually, the wildcat is just an update to old-fashioned football. As my father, who is 84, told me, way back in the day there was no quarterback. The “halfback” did the running, passing, and everything. Actually, from what I have seen, football back then was a lot more like rugby. The forward pass was actually an addition to the game. If you watch a college team that uses the triple option, it is a lot like rugby, trying to maintain the pitch angles between the backs while reading the defense. And the drop kick exixts in football also. Doug Flutie, a quarterback, kicked a dropkick field goal in his last game, at age 41 or 42. Here is a link. I know the kick is really short, but it was the first one attempted in the NFL in over 40 years. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0Jsz-fSNd4](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0Jsz-fSNd4) ---
**Author:** ![Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cc9497/32.png) [@Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt.Ridley_s_Shooting_Party)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2009, 10:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quarterback-v-out-half-rugby-and-other-questions/518725/50 "2009-11-30T10:39:17Z")
> [@lisiate](#): > > I found **mhendo’s** analysis of the differing games quite convincing, but I think this thread has avoided falling into a ‘which game is tougher’ slagging match. Because this thread actually requires knowledge of either sport. I’ve found those who are most vocal in the “which game is tougher” debates are those that play neither game. I’ve got friends in real life who would never dream of playing rugby, but are quick to denounce American Football as a game for girls. In actual fact, most rugby clubs I know would gladly take a Football player, as they know how to hit well. Also, I find it strange that those wanting to defend rugby always focus on the big hits, which actually plays to American Football’s strengths. Rugby isn’t tough because of the huge number of big hits, though they do happen, it’s tough because of the rampant rucking (for those who think this has died out, I invite you to play teams from the Scottish borders: you come off the pitch looking like you’ve been scourged), the stamping on hands, bending fingers back, occasional eye gouge, common brawls, the fact that punching is widely seen as a valid tactic in the front row, broken necks etc. etc. ---
**Author:** ![lisiate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f05b48/32.png) [@lisiate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lisiate)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2009, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quarterback-v-out-half-rugby-and-other-questions/518725/51 "2009-11-30T21:44:27Z")
What is it with Scotsmen and rucking? I still remember the first game I played down in Dunedin at university getting monstered in every ruck by the boys from Southland and Otago regardless of where the ball actually was. Still, you can’t deny that it’s an effective way of getting quick ball from the breakdown. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quarterback-v-out-half-rugby-and-other-questions/518725.md?page=2)