Not only does each player, pass, kick, run and catch. But it’s very physical like football but without the full body armour. The game is almost like soccer in that it keeps moving and there isn’t 10 seconds of random chaos followed by 3 minutes of ass scratching and wondering what just happened. Strategy is fluid and doesn’t require huddles with silly secret code play calling.
But when was the last time you saw someone get their leg snapped in two, Joe Theismann-style, in a rugby match?
Don’t get me wrong, I think rugby should be so much bigger in the United States than it is. Comparing it to football, though, doesn’t really work because the games are so different.
I’m surprised that kind of thing doesn’t happen during every rugby game.
Lack of padding and helmets seems to make the game about making the play, not making the kill. It seem to me that this game is more about handling the ball, not the opposing player.
They club each other to death with a frequency that would be frightening – if they weren’t too manly to be frightened, There are so many deaths in hurling that they don’t even track them.
Inagine something like lacrosse with clubs more like baseball bats and no padding or helmets.
Try hockey sometime. Yeah, there are pads. You also wear knives on your feet and carry a nice long stick. And getting hit with a ball is nothing compared to a puck.
Nah, those are sports for pussies. I’m going with ferret legging.
This is a reprint from Harpers from a while back, and appears to be properly credited. The original, full length piece, if I’m not mistaken, is by the wonderful author John MacPhee.
Rugby though, does have a relatively high incidence of spinal injury - especially from scrums. Typically, it’s the front rowersat risk, and in schoolboy rugby they don’t let them slam into each other to engage because of the risk, but still…
Then there’s always the getting your ears ripped off bit.
You wimps. None of you’d last ten minutes in a gladiatorial death match. No, it’d be one little disemboweling and you’d all be running home to your mommies.
The ball goes about 100mph, helmets aren’t compulsory, fights are common and even blood on the pitch won’t stop play, sure, that’s all true, but it’s not utter carnage. Usually.
The Gaelic Athletic association, has more info on their website if anyone is interested.