Rugby v Football

[Gwylan]

Yeah, but Easy, comparing rugby to Pop Idol is no contest for you is it? We know how much of a fan you are.

 

[Easy 10]

I was just illustrating a point - I am SO indifferent to club rugby, that I would actually rather watch Pop Idol...THATS how interested I am in club rugby, it really does measure that low down the scale in my viewing priorties. Please believe me.

 

[Guinness Boy]

Which implies he has spent a lot of time in Rugby clubhouses...

I used to play Rugby Union for my town - bloody loved the sport then, and still do know. BUT I hated the clubhouse. That, and a knee injury, led me to give up. Couldn't be arsed hanging around with the complete wankers in the game. Still go to watch games, but I do find the atmosphere around football better than that around Rugby (Union, that is - Rugby League is great).

I remember seeing a quote once that I think went "rugby is a sport played by thugs and watched by gentlemen and football is a game played by gentlemen and watched by thugs". Which is utter tosh of course, hooligans give 95% of football fans a bad name and the under sexed solicitor playing fromt row and ruining your night out gives rugby a bad name.

But one thing must be learned from this. It is possible to watch England away, see them win and do the whole thing in the proper spirit. The Barmy Army tour last winter was the starting point for me, then as I was walking home on Saturday, getting handshakes from the Japanese, I remembered how much my England supporting mates had said how much they enjoyed Japan last year. And the spirit shown, both in my local and in the news, between English and Aussie fans after this one was tremendous.

So I'll add one more thing to my wish list. Not only would it be great to see England win the World Cup at all three of our major sports but it would be great if you could go and watch England away at any sport and not see the beer and banter descend into ugliness.

 

[Superphil]

I think the quote is

Rugby is a game for thugs PLAYED by Gentlemen.

Football is a game for Gentlemen PLAYED by thugs

 

[Lady Whistledown]

Rugby fans at England away games don't tend to start the game off with a round of "No surrender to the IRA" either. Or "I'd rather be a Paki than a Turk".

There was friendly rivalry with the Aussies in Sydney, but none of the pondlife who associate themselves with the football team.

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

and Rugby League is a game for thugs played by thugs.






I think it finished.

 

[elbowpatches]

I think the quote is

Rugby is a game for thugs PLAYED by Gentlemen.

Football is a game for Gentlemen PLAYED by thugs

this could also be applicable to the fans as well. Sorry but that's the truth in my experience. Football fans have too many thuggish idiots and I have never experienced any problems watching a rugby game.

I have said this many times before the world cup so don't accuse me of joining the bandwagon. I have also been promoting rugby at the school I teach at for the past year and now this will hopefully develop further.

Before anyone says anything, I will still attend as many Brighton games as possible but will continue to ignore the thuggish idiots who call themselves fans and watch the game.

 

[Beach Hut]

If Rugby is to succeed in popularity there will need to be a national schools policy change.

Rugby is very elitist as predominantly plyed only at Public Schools.

That said, I played it at school and it is an exceptionally good sport. Secondly to be a Rugby player the levels of fitness required are more than football (however I am sure that many would debate that) - therefore a national change of diet would be required as well.

I don't see either of these major shifts in policy.