3 minute education on Rugby for US Brothers

[El Presidente]

3 minute education on Rugby for US Brothers

The early dancing and prancing is performed by the All Blacks (KIWI's) as a form of intimidation to opposing teams. It is very cute

I coach Rugby and played until I was 36. An absolute passion and one which takes up a great deal of discussion on the deck with Smithy and whenever Ken is up.....with red wine and cigars.

Watch the three minutes and you will have an idea of how the game is played....or at least have as good an idea as the rest of us ;-)

[Jimmy2]

I think i could love this game because of the violence .

What are the rules to this game and where the hell could i catch a game in the States on TV ?

[El Presidente]

» I think i could love this game because of the violence .

»

» What are the rules to this game and where the hell could i catch a game in

» the States on TV ?

1. You cannot pass/throw the ball forward.

2. 15 players per side. 8 goons in the middle (forwards who are in charge of getting the ball) 7 poofters (also known as "backs") behind the forwards whose job is to "make plays" without ******* up and giving the ball to the other side.

3. No eye gouging or attacking the head of the opposition player.

4. No testical grabbing...although the French struggle with this one.

5. In Rugby Union no number of set posessions. You keep the ball as long as you protect it.

Not sure in the US where you could see a game. Ken might have some ideas.

[Ken Gargett]

» I think i could love this game because of the violence .

»

» What are the rules to this game and where the hell could i catch a game in

» the States on TV ?

jimmy, when i worked in DC, quite a few people played. i'd google around your local region. there will be teams. the french also struggle with rule three tho the kiwis love it when something breaks rule four. a change from sheep.

[shortsqueeze]

At least in New England, alot of the local universities have club teams and play each other. Good fun to watch.

» Not sure in the US where you could see a game. Ken might have some ideas.

[marco polo]

I have'nt watched rugby too much, I did'nt realize it was so violent!

[Jimmy2]

You can find it here 250 matches never know it was so big of a sport!!

http://www.mediazone.com/channel/rugby/jsp/2006/index.jsp

[Ken Gargett]

it is a great clip to watch though you have to wonder who compiled it. about half is not from rugby but rather from league, a different game. some similarities and lots of differences. they actually usually tackle far better than rugby players.

[El Presidente]

» I have'nt watched rugby too much, I did'nt realize it was so violent!

Certainly not for the feint of heart. Quite a controlled and technical game where players need to be multiskilled. Physically punishing as no other sport is partly because you play 40 minute halves with few breaks of play (particularly for the forwards).

As aficionado's of the code say..."It is the game they play in Heaven."

The two Rugby codes share a lot in common (including players) when it comes to physicality. Having played both I preferred Rugby Union but had my arse kicked equally in both.

[Jimmy2]

You have to just love this game LOL!!!!! Read on!!

Rugby player suffered headaches, eye infection until tooth found

by The Associated Press

July 17, 2007, 9:03 AM ET

BRISBANE, Australia -- Rugby player Ben Czislowski kept competing for more than three months despite the headaches that started after a clash with an opponent.

I've got the tooth at home, sitting on the bedside table. I'm keeping it at the moment as proof that it actually happened.

-- Ben Czislowski

Czislowski was playing for Brisbane team Wynnum during the April 1 incident involving Tweed Heads forward Matt Austin. He had a head wound stitched up afterward, the Australian Associated Press reported Tuesday.

Czislowski later suffered an eye infection and complained of lethargy and shooting pains in his head.

Then last week, his doctor found a tooth embedded in Czislowski's head.

"I can laugh about it now, but the doctor told me it could have been serious, with teeth carrying germs," Czislowski said.

"I've got the tooth at home, sitting on the bedside table," he said. "If he [Austin] wants it back he can have it. I'm keeping it at the moment as proof that it actually happened."

[Ken Gargett]

jimmy, there was a photo of the bloke and the tooth. from his dial, no wonder no one noticed. big tooth too. again, i thought that it was a league player and not rugby. personally, not that i ever played at anything like that level, i think the league state of origin is the toughest of all footy. but being caught at the bottom of a ruck in a rugby test would come a close second.

[Guibou]

» 1. You cannot pass/throw the ball forward.

» 2. 15 players per side. 8 goons in the middle (forwards who are in charge

» of getting the ball) 7 poofters (also known as "backs") behind the

» forwards whose job is to "make plays" without ******* up and giving the

» ball to the other side.

» 3. No eye gouging or attacking the head of the opposition player.

» 4. No testical grabbing...although the French struggle with this one.

» 5. In Rugby Union no number of set posessions. You keep the ball as long

» as you protect it.

4. No testical grabbing...although the French struggle with this one.

Rob,

That would be to avoid the britts and the aussies to always kick a penalty all the time!!!

We go for tries, whatever it takes :-D !

That being said, not considering the last 2 plays...

Good luck on Saturday!

Guib;-) u

[Fuzz]

» The early dancing and prancing is performed by the All Blacks (KIWI's) as

» a form of intimidation to opposing teams. It is very cute

Here's an Aussie version of the Haka...

[GoSteelers]

Whats up with the Girlie Men wearing helmets???? Wouldn't that be embarassing to be the only one on the field with a bonnet>?

[brian1]

Rob,

I played rugby from Under 8's all the way through college in Ireland and then played a little bit with New York Rugby Club when I first moved to the U.S.

You should see what passes for rugby over here, it would scare you, high tackles, American Football style blocking LOL...alot of frustrated ex college football players take up Rugby and they dont take any prisioners. All this on some of the worst rock hard excuse for rugby pitches you could imagine....it was great:-D

» 3 minute education on Rugby for US Brothers

»

» The early dancing and prancing is performed by the All Blacks (KIWI's) as

» a form of intimidation to opposing teams. It is very cute

»

» I coach Rugby and played until I was 36. An absolute passion and one which

» takes up a great deal of discussion on the deck with Smithy and whenever

» Ken is up.....with red wine and cigars.

»

» Watch the three minutes and you will have an idea of how the game is

» played....or at least have as good an idea as the rest of us ;-)

»

»

[Colt45]

» Here's an Aussie version of the Haka...

»

waltzing matilda

[n2advnture]

» Not sure in the US where you could see a game. Ken might have some ideas.

You can subscribe to the Setanta Sports Channel on DirecTV in the US to see rugby coverage. We watch it all the time!

The great thing about rugby (better than US football in my opinion):

* 1 referee that you can't argue with

* no time outs (eg continuous play!)

* no pads (just a scrum cap or electrical tape so your ears don't get tweeked & some where a thin torso pad)

I found a decent brief explanation of the basic rules:

Rugby Rules - Tough but Fair

04.04.2006 The image that comes to the mind of the uninitiated is a mass of bodies hurling themselves on top of each other in the quest for a strangely shaped football. And the game seems to have an inordinate number of highly complex rules. But things aren't as bad as they look. Rugby is in fact simpler, fairer and more cordial in nature than appears at first glance.

A traditional game of rugby has fifteen players on either side who can use their feet, hands and head – in brief, their whole body – to propel the ball. The prime aim is to score a try – that is to lay the ball behind the opposing team's try-line, which crosses the field at the level of the two goalposts.

5, 7 and 3 Points – No GoalsA successful try (touchdown) is worth five points. Two further points can be added by what is called a conversion, which occurs when, in the wake of a try, the ball is successfully kicked between the two goalposts and over the crossbar. This looks similar to a penalty, but the kick is not necessarily executed directly facing the goal. The closer to the touchline (sideline) the try was scored, the further to the side the kick has to be taken. The sharper the angle to the posts, the more difficult it is to score a conversion, owing to the difficulty of calculating the trajectory of the egg-shaped ball.

Finally, there are three points to be earned through the conversion of a penalty kick awarded in the case of a major offense by the opposing team.

Fewer Players Means More PaceRugby sevens is a variant of traditional rugby that is becoming increasingly popular. It's a seven-a-side game lasting only seven minutes in each half (ten minutes each way in the final) as against the two 40-minute halves of a traditional rugby match. This speeds up the game enormously and enables an entire tournament, like the Cathay Pacific/Credit Suisse Hong Kong Rugby Sevens, with a large number of participating teams, to be staged on a single, long weekend.

Complicated Rules Made Simple

Rugby may seem more complicated than football – but then again, who really understands the offside rule? One of the basic rugby laws: the ball may only be passed backwards. This might sound ridiculous at first, but it does actually make sense. The ball is thrown to a player behind the ball bearer, who can then run forward, dodging opposition tackles, and if all goes well, placing the ball between the opponent's posts for a try. Alternatively, the ball may be kicked forward, but it must touch the ground before it can be retrieved by a player of the same side. The ball may not be dropped forward, unless it is subsequently picked up by an opposing player.

The ScrumInfringement of a rugby law – they don't usually speak of rules in the rugby world – results in a scrum, a sort of organized scuffle. Players of both sides line up with arms interlocked behind their backs and face each other like two human walls. Together they form a shape reminiscent of a star formation in parachute jumping. The ball is then thrown into the middle of this formation and each team tries to kick the ball backwards out of the scrum, where team-mates are waiting to pick it up and resume the game.

Enough to Enjoy the Game So much as a first introduction to rugby laws. Naturally there remain a lot of finer points. When exactly is a foul given? How are free kicks executed? When is a yellow card shown or a player sent off? If you want to know more, you will find all the relevant information on the official rugby websites. To enjoy watching a game, however, it is enough to understand the basics outlined here.

Full Body Impact – Mostly Without Injury

It hardly needs mentioning that full body impact is part and parcel of the rugby game. Things, however, often look worse than they are. Naturally, injuries do occur, but rarely of a serious nature. An international football match is probably not much less bruising. And it's not as if the rugby laws allow a free-for-all. The laws are strict about what forms of tackling and bodily impact are permitted, and anyone seriously infringing these laws will get sent off. It might come as a surprise to the rugby novice to hear a crowd booing when an obvious foul occurs. Certainly, rugby is not for wimps. But it's a good, honest spectacle, and also suitable entertainment for children and families.

Look for your local "Irish Pub", they tend to have a lot of rugby matches on their televisions.

~Mark

[brian1]

If I cant get down to my local Irish bar for a game, which is a given these days with 3 toddlers and a new born at home:-D I watch on my lap top. Its a pay per view deal..$10 per game..the picture quality is not 100% yet but its nearly there, and its archived so you can watch at your leisure.

http://na.setanta.com/portal/systemcontent/broadband

» » Not sure in the US where you could see a game. Ken might have some

» ideas.

»

» You can subscribe to the Setanta Sports Channel on DirecTV in the US to

» see rugby coverage. We watch it all the time!

»

»

[gehrig24]

I can not lie, I learned this game by playing it on Playstation. Good game and I sometimes catch games on Directv in the 600 channel range.

[Ken Gargett]

» Whats up with the Girlie Men wearing helmets???? Wouldn't that be

» embarassing to be the only one on the field with a bonnet>?

sorry, i think i must have misunderstood. a moniker of 'gosteelers' would indicate some familiarity with american football and, as much as i do enjoy that game, they have more protection than most of the troops in iraq when they take the field.

you are kidding? some players in league and rugby wear slightly protective head gear and they are girlie men? go watch a state of origin.