What if America started caring about Rugby?

[BluesAreBest]

I disagree, the americans seem to entrenched in their system of things. Think the Springboks with a narrower view. (without offending the bok supporters)

If other countries turned their attention to NFL - I genuinely think the americans should be fearful. Along with AFL & Rugby League, the ability to punt/kick goals with an oval ball is peerless. The amount of current NFL attacking plays that would be nigh impossible to stop with specific players and using laterals would change the scope of the game. You could find that the Antipodeans may reshape attacking and defensive structures.

I think simply put for me - NFL seems to use man to beat man, whereas Rugby/League find it best to let the ball beat the man.

The NFL is a lot about athleticism and I doubt may rugby players would be decent in the NFL since the athleticism in rugby is extremely inferior. No offense to rugby/league/afl players but they don't have the genes to compete with the freak size/speed combos of African-Americans IMO.

 

[psychic duck]

The NFL is a lot about athleticism and I doubt may rugby players would be decent in the NFL since the athleticism in rugby is extremely inferior. No offense to rugby/league/afl players but they don't have the genes to compete with the freak size/speed combos of African-Americans IMO.

really?

 

[BluesAreBest]

really?

So you post pics of guys who are mean't to be big to prove a point? To prove my point, several new NFL players routinely post 4.4 or below 40yd times every year at the NFL combine while Joe Rokocoko had the quickest ever 40m time for an all black at 4.65.

 

[profitius]

The NFL is a lot about athleticism and I doubt may rugby players would be decent in the NFL since the athleticism in rugby is extremely inferior. No offense to rugby/league/afl players but they don't have the genes to compete with the freak size/speed combos of African-Americans IMO.

But those players wouldn't stand a chance of keeping up with rugby/league/AFL players and would be hammered over 80 min so you're missing the point.

 

[Logorrhea]

To prove my point, several new NFL players routinely post 4.4 or below 40yd times every year at the NFL combine while Joe Rokocoko had the quickest ever 40m time for an all black at 4.65.

How many times could those american football players repeat it? After running around non-stop for 60 minutes, covering 7 or 8 miles, with no real opportunity to stop? Once, maybe twice? All you proved is that the American football players are more effective if the game was played over a period of seconds.

American football players are conditioned to play one particular role (and rightly so). They cant pass, dont have to coordination or awareness of who is around them, wouldnt know a support line if it hit them in the face etc.

Its like saying Usain Bolt is a better athlete then Haile Gebrselassiehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haile_Gebrselassie because hes faster over 100 metres.

 

[lberns1]

Not as long as NBC/Universal Sports owns the rights

We're going to be sucking wind here for a while before rugby gets a strong foothold among the populace

From Dave's Football Blog:

Want to Watch the Rugby World Cup in America? Pay Up or Find a Pub

If you need any further proof that the 2011 Rugby World Cup lacks any pull in the USA, just examine the television coverage.

Universal Sports, the barely-known over-the-air digital channel that accompanies most NBC broadcast signals, published this grid showing what games will be shown where. Clearly, the boys at Universal want people to pay up for this. Only nine matches will be shown on free TV, and four of the six pool stage matches involve the USA team — which makes sense, given that this is the USA, but for all its recent improvements, that squad is expected to suffer at least three savage beatings in its four matches...MORE

 

[Thingimubob]

Always see the Wide Receiver people ( think that's what they're called) in a similar way to 100m sprinters, they only need to use their energy in a single burst of power and speed lasting at most about 10 to 15seconds, and only every now and then in American Football with plenty of time to rest. That's why these guys clock faster times than the likes of Rokococo, it's all they really and truly need to do! Rokococo and any other winger in Rugby (League too) need to be able to (like Logorrehea said) pass, run attacking lines onto the ball, chase kicks, drop back to catch kicks, tackle as well as being fast enough to finish of tries. Completely different, put a player straight from playing in the NFL into a rugby match he'd struggle!
I've actually seen a video (think someone put it up here a while ago I think) where there was an interview with 2 guys who play/played in the NFL saying they'd tried rugby when they were in college, and were begging to come off within a couple of minutes because they weren't anywhere near used to being able to running around for that long!
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EDIT: About the pictures of the fellas with big guts, yupp they're meant to be big, doesn't mean they're really that fit though, all they need to be is strong. Compare it to the prop in Rugby, he's meant to be big too, but his fitness needs to be very good too! He needs to carry the ball into contact, hit the rucks, usually is a lifts in the line outs, has to tackle and then has to scrummage which is shattering! Of course many don't last the full 80, but the work rate they have to put in is huge! Just look at Gethin Jenkins, he's a big bloke, but his fitness is incredible, he's like a 4th backrower, usually tackles just as much too and hits just as many rucks!

 

[TNT88]

Rugby players need to bulk up, so they all lose a bit of speed. NFL players are obviously still a bit quicker on average, but speed doesn't count for much, even in 7s you would need to be Usain Bolt to actually score tries on pure speed alone.

 

[j-dawg]

I think if the USA cared alot about rugby, like they do NFL, it would become infested with steroids and other performance enhancing drugs.

 

[UilamOsa]

The NFL is a lot about athleticism and I doubt may rugby players would be decent in the NFL since the athleticism in rugby is extremely inferior. No offense to rugby/league/afl players but they don't have the genes to compete with the freak size/speed combos of African-Americans IMO.

I'm not too sure if you're trolling or not.

Therefore - I'll act like your not


Firstly - there are approximately 28 to 30 Samoans playing in the NFL
I'm not too sure about the Tongans. Who was the last black quarter back to superbowl, and how many times has a black quarterback won a superbowl in the history of NFL (please feel free to supply stats and you can include pre professional history) And the Yanks haven't even discovered the Fijians - which is a good thing for world rugby.

Secondly - You can't compare natural athletes (joe rokococo) to NFL athletes because the training is specific. No one should compare either because it's unfair, unless there were pro players that did both.

And if you're not aware, NFL recruitment drives are now taking place for younger PI players - i know this coz I had a younger cousin get scouted and not picked up. The season has started up again in Aucks and there are small time recruiters sending video back of the young kiwi kids (islanders and palagi's).

Also, you could say about the NBA and their genes and yet Steven Adams half brother of Valerie Adams is shaking up some big names and big universities in the states.

 

[racingmetrofan]

Why America won't become interested:

Not 'the done thing'. If you are rich (which is what any sport needs) you'll invest in AF or Baseball or Basketball.

Economically: American sports are a whole career choice for many people. If you are good at athletics, or the 4 big American sports, you can go to a top university for free, network all you want and have a lot of prestiege. There is little reason in the short term that top American schools will start introducing similar programs for rugby (and back to the first point, most of these are funded by wealthy American donations).

'Dangerous': Why send your kid to a dangerous rugger field when you can spend lots of money wrapping him up in armour so he can play football.

The world leaders in Rugby are insignificant countries: In the grand scheme of things America has no reason or need to compete with Australia, New Zealand ,South Africa, France or England. If Russia or China were good at rugby, things might change.

THey are a long way away from everyone: It would not be logistically easy for them to play in either Super Rugby, Top 14, Magners League or the Heinekin Cup.

Politics: The current world leaders in rugby don't actually want America to wield it's money around and spirit away all their best players.