The case against rugby

[mervyn]

For some years I’ve tried to get interested in Rugby. Why? Because my Chiefs supporting friends really love it and I can get to their stadium in ten minutes, for games which tend not to conflict with Argyle home games. However no matter how hard I try I get bored. After nearly every whistle nobody knows why play has stopped until the ref explains, so just as excitement mounts everything stops again. I know that in football you can argue that every goal is ultimately the result of defensive errors, but in rugby even the slightest error in the wrong quarter results in penalty kick points, which seem to decide most games. With an admission cost of £80 per game, and now no relegation from their Premiership, resulting in too many dead rubbers, then I can’t see my mind changing in the future. Any Albion supporters on here can tell me what I might be missing?

 

[Butternubs]

Union is awful for penalties, kick pingpong and stop starting. League is much easier on the eye, the players are technically better (better passers and better handling) and is far more exciting to watch, imho. Having said that, I've never been that keen on egg chasing and outside of football, I don't really follow any sports really. But I've never got the appeal of rugby (whichever code) either.

 

[Joe Totale]

Like you I've tried. Back in the day I went to uni in Leicester so got cheap tickets to see them at Welford Road a few times.

Aside from the charm of wooden stands and drinking in them, I was bored. As you say it's just constant stop start action.

 

[IJN]

A truly awful game.

 

[Gloucester Green]

All the years I've lived up here (almost 14 years) there has been one trip to Kingsholm to see a RWC game Scotland v Japan plus a trip to Twickenham for Harlequins v Gloucester this past festive period, neither was a great experience hence me going to watch the National League South football. Although next season it'll be Southern League which will still be better than Glawster!

 

[WolvesGreen]

£80.

 

[Brussels Bureaucrat]

It's much more fun to play than to watch, in my experience. I played to a half decent level as a schoolkid but I never really had any interest in watching it (partly because Albion were always a bit tinpot compared to Argyle) and as others have mentioned it's so attritional now.

It's heretical in these parts really, but rugby league is a much better watch.

 

[George Willis]

The biggest problem with rugby is the huge number of rules which seem to be changed every season. League is a far simpler game and easy to watch and understand.

 

[Mexijan1]

In fairness it gives us salad dodgers a chance to play team sports. Personally loved playing and watching it, if you completely give up on trying to understand the rules for penalties etc as a unconverted you will enjoy it more. It's like watching Rotherham/Millwall at HP this season but with sin bins for thuggery.

 

[Eastbourne Green]

I love rugby union, used to play it until early adulthood and always get excited when six Nations and world cup comes around. There can be some scintillating games when teams aim to throw it around and run rather than kick. Some of the Quins games over the last few years are the best I've ever seen and France v Italy last weekend was quite the ding dong.

Unfortunately however there are some issues right now which urgently needs addressing to make that more the norm as I agree quite a few games can be turgid affairs.

The biggest issue (and really good article in the guardian (I think)) on this is the professional era has increased the emphasis on defence and winning the collision. Four impacts of this are
1) stifling of attack resulting in kicking for territory often being more effective than trying to run the ball and or the only option
2) with the ball, winning the collision and recycling through forward rather than looking for space and offloading
3) physical attributes favoured over technically skills
4) the mounting number of ex players with serious health conditions, some of the stories of early onset Alzheimer's is heartbreaking

There are other things that need looking at e.g. scrum should be to restart the game, not a penalty generator, the Dupont Law and the caterpillar ruck. Ultimately it needs to rediscover the philosophy of fast, frenetic flowing rugby. Get that right and the constant set piece and ruck "infringements" become less of a thing.

 

[Brussels Bureaucrat]

I love rugby union, used to play it until early adulthood and always get excited when six Nations and world cup comes around. There can be some scintillating games when teams aim to throw it around and run rather than kick. Some of the Quins games over the last few years are the best I've ever seen and France v Italy last weekend was quite the ding dong.

Unfortunately however there are some issues right now which urgently needs addressing to make that more the norm as I agree quite a few games can be turgid affairs.

The biggest issue (and really good article in the guardian (I think)) on this is the professional era has increased the emphasis on defence and winning the collision. Four impacts of this are
1) stifling of attack resulting in kicking for territory often being more effective than trying to run the ball and or the only option
2) with the ball, winning the collision and recycling through forward rather than looking for space and offloading
3) physical attributes favoured over technically skills
4) the mounting number of ex players with serious health conditions, some of the stories of early onset Alzheimer's is heartbreaking

There are other things that need looking at e.g. scrum should be to restart the game, not a penalty generator, the Dupont Law and the caterpillar ruck. Ultimately it needs to rediscover the philosophy of fast, frenetic flowing rugby. Get that right and the constant set piece and ruck "infringements" become less of a thing.

The thing around head injuries is really interesting. Rugby has always had a culture of glamorising big hits and heavy tackles, but in the professional era players are just so much bigger and faster than previously, and as you rightly say we are much more aware of how dangerous repeated head impacts are.

I really do wonder how sustainable contact sports are, long-term. Rugby, boxing and American football are the obvious examples, but heading in football is another art that may well be on borrowed time. It might just be dismissed as 'wokery' or whatever, but the consequences can be so miserable for everyone involved.

 

[Southampton Hake]

In the past I either read an article or listened to an interview of a referee discussing how he managed a match. Of particular interest was the tackle/maul/ruck part of the game where, the referee mentioned there were so many infringements, he would give the penalty against the team that committed the most, or the most serious offence.
I think the Union referees have great support from the sports administration which makes it easier for them to generally perform to a high standard. The players understand this and realize the consequences of a lack of respect.

The game does little currently for an Englishman (other than make him swear at the simple mistakes seen on televised international games) especially as his team seem unable to perform the basic tenants of the game i.e. passing and catching the ball. Personally, I have defined Rugby Union for many years as "a game of handball decided by kicks" even more so today with all the kicking for territory.

 

[Butternubs]

Ultimately it needs to rediscover the philosophy of fast, frenetic flowing rugby.

Rugby league already exists.

 

[Eastbourne Green]

Rugby league already exists.

I've tried to get into league but I struggle plus alot of the issues I've mentioned have partly come about through the introduction of league style defences into union.
The thing I struggle with most is I don't find it spontaneous enough for my liking. union has the ability to ebb and flow where as I find league to be a bit rinse and repeat due to the way each team only has x number of phases and the more disciplined set up on each side once a tackles been made.

 

[Lousy Pint]

Watching Grandstand back in the day on Saturday af'noons when I couldn't get to Argyle was enough to put me off League for life. An awful watch and, even today, I just cannot associate Wigan with football!!

Sounded like two great Union games yesterday. I'm not a great fan, but it seems so much better than the other discipline, to me at least.