Pick your Favorite Sport

[Top Secret]

Very physical sport obviously... no pads, no helmets.

In a nutshell, imagine football, but you can't pass forward. So that's why they have to pass it side ways or backwards, make sense? And also, it's not like football where there's an offense and a defense, the same players stay on the pitch constantly. I think it's so much more demanding than american football because:
1. You have the same players on... in american football, defense rests while offense plays. That confused the crap out of me the first game I went to.
2. There's no timeout. You play constantly until halftime
3. No pads, all balls.

That's the most basic explanation you'll get. There's a lot more rules than that but I have a hard time understanding actually. The Aussies will do a better job explaining.

Warot got most of the basic stuff, I guess it is similar to American football in the way you have a similar-shaped ball and the fact that it's very physical. The only protective material you're allowed to wear is a mandatory mouthguard and optional headgear (not a helmet) or shoulder-pads.

Some more details:

1. There's 30 men on the field at one time - 15 on each team.

2. Two classifications of players: 'forwards' and 'backs'. The aim of the 8 forwards of a team is to gain and retain posession of the ball. The aim of the 7 backs is to move the ball forwards and ultimately score points.

3. Unlike American football, you can't tackle anyone you want - you can only tackle the man with the ball.

4. The game goes for 80 minutes - two halves of 40 minutes.

5. Rugby Union also has 'touchdowns' per se, only they call it a 'try' and in order to score, you must place the ball on the ground with a degree of control, not just cross a line.

5. A try in rugby union is worth 5 points. A conversion of the try is worth 2 extra points. A field goal is worth 3 points, as are penalty conversions.

6. The most critical element of rugby is tackling. It's illegal to tackle anyone above the shoulders or to trip a player using their legs or feet.

That's the basic jist of it, really.

There's also scrums, lineouts, restarts, mauls and rucks to understand. It's very hard to explain if you haven't played, or seen the game.

Wikipedia will tell you more: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rugby_Union

I play Rugby Union for my school - it's an amazingly fun game to play, although the risk of injury is quite high. My friend has had two broken collarbones in two years from playing rugby.

EDIT: An example of a brilliant tackle:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2_V3AsKzQI

 

[warot]

BMWFREAK, I'm sure you've seen those plays from American football, it's a classic, where there's like 7 laterals in a row for winning the game. It was a college game, and the band was already out celebrating. Well in rugby, that's how a lot of the tries are scored. It's just lateral, run, lateral, run.... really entertaining to watch

 

[siko]

Ice Hockey would have been my choice had it been in the list.

Amen

 

[Top Secret]

A nice compilation of the All Blacks; the national New Zealand Rugby Union side.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PD1_puuceg0

 

[warot]

A nice compilation of the All Blacks; the national New Zealand Rugby Union side.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PD1_puuceg0

Wow TS... that was an awesome video.

I still prefer the Springboks

 

[Giannis]

Tennis for me. Very sophisticated sport, and helps me keep my fitness...

 

[Michael]

Tennis for me. Very sophisticated sport, and helps me keep my fitness...

I have been playing tennis now for 2 years but have never taken any classes. So, I really can't play that well. I just go with my girlfriend to a court and hit balls over the net. I cannot play like a pro whatsoever, nor like one of those guys that has been doing it for years. I wish I could get better, but I don't want to take any classes.

 

[Giannis]

Mike, you should really take some classes. It will help you a lot. I play tennis from highscholl and at that time, i was taking classes.. I now enjoy it! For me it's not just hitting balls over the net!

 

[Michael]

Mike, you should really take some classes. It will help you a lot. I play tennis from highscholl and at that time, i was taking classes.. I now enjoy it! For me it's not just hitting balls over the net!

Your right. Right now, though, I do not have the cash flow to attempt to take a class.

 

[klier]

Wow this is getting more and more difficult. It would be impossible to list all the sports. Most of the sports that I listed have contact in it, while Chess doesn't.

Yeah, you just mentioned a few mainstream American sports, but there really is more than that
Too much for a poll, lol

Anyways, I voted for 'soccer', but skiiing is my no 1 sport!

 

[sunnyman12]

ice hockey is the best sport ever...and world cup gets the footballer out of all of us

 

[Michael]

ice hockey is the best sport ever...and world cup gets the footballer out of all of us

ha! you play hockey my friend?

 

[MikeJ]

I'm not really a sports person. I really only follow ice hockey (Finnish league/World Championships/Olympics) but that's it. Haven't gone to a game in ages, though.
When the local team was doing well in the Finnish baseball league (Finnish baseball, not the same as American) I paid some attention to that but I've lost interest since then.

 

[Choleric]

I play Rugby Union for my school - it's an amazingly fun game to play, although the risk of injury is quite high. My friend has had two broken collarbones in two years from playing rugby.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2_V3AsKzQI

It is really fun to play and quite addicting but I think the injury rate in American football is higher than in rugby because so much relies on form in rugby where in football do to the pads they dont emphasize form tackling as much.

As like you Top Secret I play Rugby for my school as a flank, mind me asking what position you play?

Oh and I also played Am. football in school and I must say that Rugby is so much more fun and demanding.

 

[Top Secret]

It is really fun to play and quite addicting but I think the injury rate in American football is higher than in rugby because so much relies on form in rugby where in football do to the pads they dont emphasize form tackling as much.

As like you Top Secret I play Rugby for my school as a flank, mind me asking what position you play?

Oh and I also played Am. football in school and I must say that Rugby is so much more fun and demanding.

So do I! I usually play openside breakaway, but I have been known to play a game or two in the second-row or as a number 8.

Interesting how you play Union in America, is their much interest in the sport where you live?

 

[Gene]

Wow TS... that was an awesome video.

I still prefer the Springboks

Go the All Blacks! Coming Saturday will be an interesting with All Blacks vs Springboks?

Out of interests sakes, what do you guys think of the haka? The new one and the old one?

 

[Imhotep Evil]

OK, who wrote soccer ?!
Just because americans call it that, it doesn't mean the rest of us have to agree with that.
So football (the real one not that american rugby) and Formula 1.

 

[YoungWarrior]

where gonna have to redo this poll. I hate it when people call football soccer.

 

[Choleric]

So do I! I usually play openside breakaway, but I have been known to play a game or two in the second-row or as a number 8.

Interesting how you play Union in America, is their much interest in the sport where you live?

I played blindside but also did some lock and 8 every now and then.

Interest is pretty high throught out America, I believe rugby is the most played collegiate sport or something like that (maybe non-varsity). I am from Nebraska which plays in a league with most Great Plains states and I would say its pretty popular here, high school rugby is still pretty unique, most kids start playing in college. Although on the coasts rugby is definatley way more popular than the football crazed tradition of the south and midwest.

 

[JaBriX]

FISHING !!! but there is no option for it