I've just watched the last 20 minutes of the Wales v England match (and very good it was!) but it became very clear how the players have a
different attitude to soccer/football players...
In rugby:
Brutal tackles, after which the players just stand up and get on with the match.
If a player falls and doesn't get up within 30 seconds, he is seriously HURT.
Referee who calls out instructions to help players avoid accidental fouls.
Players who just nod their understanding when the ref explains why they just had a decision made against them.
No 'dives' when an opposing player gets too close.
No tantrums.
Also, in personal experience:
Supporters who don't go out and trash the town when their team wins or loses.
Supporters who don't need 20 policemen on the train when they go home (just one or two to make sure that drunk supporters don't hurt
themselves).
Supporters who'll buy opposing supporters a beer before and after a match (I've personally witnessed this).
I've been in Cardiff when there's an international on - just a few police on the streets, mostly there to keep drunks from getting into
trouble.
Discuss...
20 plice on an away day fixture train is no where near enough! ask me how i know...
I've seen some tackles in Rugby where it looked like the individual should have been going home in a body bag, and the only reason the game was
delayed was so he could get mopped up before carrying on. In comparison, a slight tackle in football has everyone up in arms and the individual
stretchered off, just as the replay shows there was no contact.
And don't even get me started on football 'supporters', I think that alone is enough reason to have the whole thing banned. Three
quarters of a towns police force shepherding away supporters between the coaches and the grounds, what a waste of money. And it comes out of the
police force budget apparently;
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leeds-21699007
If ever a true phrase.................
"Football is a gentleman's game played by hooligans, and rugby is a hooligans' game played by gentlemen"
You forgot to mention supporters who can be trusted to have a drink in the ground, mix freely with the oppositions supporters inside and outside
without killing each other, applaud the other team and respect their national anthem!
I was at Twickenham last weekend and it was a pleasure, I went to Wembley a few years ago for England v France ......not quite the same.
I even carried a full (plastic) pint of Guinness in through the gate to Twickenham...now that is civilised!
Rich
A mate of mine is a referee (5th division).
A player didn't like the decision he gave and threatened him on the field.
He has been cited, there are witnesses and he WILL have a 2 year ban.
I have nowt but contempt for football.
Was going to go into a long rant but it ain't worth it.
ATB
Simon
obviously not many football fans on here (soccer is for the americans) is manu tuilagi more of a man than graeme souness? id highly doubt it!
bloodgate scenario was a complete farce,dwarf throwing rediculous,(not to mention women) you think its ok for rugby players to fight on the
field,gouge eyes,fake injury, but not a fotballler?
what a load of shite
sport is sport,and humans are humans. you do what you can to win,whatever it takes!
quote:
soccer is for the americans
quote:
Originally posted by GonzoRacer
quote:
soccer is for the americans
Beg to differ, Sir! Soccer is for school children... Rugby has a small but vociferous fan base in the US, and most every university has a team of some sort. Usually they are "Club" teams, as in not supported by the college's athletic department. Many, many moons ago, Yrs Truly was a Loose Head Prop for the NC State University Side. Rugby is an all around great sport:moves faster than American football, has honest to God tackling and some of the best ball handling/passing/kicking on the planet!
And, like the old bumper sticker said, "It takes leather balls to play Rugby!"
Peace, Love and Scrums-
JDK
quote:
Originally posted by daniel mason
obviously not many football fans on here (soccer is for the americans) is manu tuilagi more of a man than graeme souness? id highly doubt it!
bloodgate scenario was a complete farce,dwarf throwing rediculous,(not to mention women) you think its ok for rugby players to fight on the field,gouge eyes,fake injury, but not a fotballler?
what a load of shite
sport is sport,and humans are humans. you do what you can to win,whatever it takes!
In rugby...
the referee blows the whistle constantly, stoppages and free kicks all the time
in football...
it's just ace, constantly (and I say this having watched my team (Tranmere) get beaten 3-0 by MK Dons)
I had to play rugby at school so I know just how useless it is
Dave
quote:
Originally posted by panichat
In rugby...
the referee blows the whistle constantly, stoppages and free kicks all the time
I've watched both rugby league and rugby union - both have their good and bad points, but either way they're both entertaining.
I watched the 1979 fa cup or something semi final. United vs Liverpool.
Was very good, non of this rolling on the floor, ref didnt stop it too often, players showed respect to opposition and the ref.
Much better than now a days.
I could be a fan if it was like that now.
i love rugby but if it was as interesting as football to the masses then the money and crowds would be there!
ive yet to meet a rugby fan that would be as dedicated to their team as me (liverpool) and many football fans.
ive sacrificed so much for my team, travelling from scotland to night games and back again for work next day,sometimes 3 games a week(all over the
country)
i know a man utd fan who has not missed a single competative game since 1986. and i mean not one! home and away in england and europe. even missed his
brothers wedding as it was match day (he was meant to be best man)
its all opinions but to say all footballers are divers (some are) and all rugby players are fair (some arent,bloodgate eg) is utter shite!
quote:
Originally posted by daniel mason
obviously not many football fans on here (soccer is for the americans) is manu tuilagi more of a man than graeme souness? id highly doubt it!
bloodgate scenario was a complete farce,dwarf throwing rediculous,(not to mention women) you think its ok for rugby players to fight on the field,gouge eyes,fake injury, but not a fotballler?
what a load of shite
sport is sport,and humans are humans. you do what you can to win,whatever it takes!
Interestingly only 2 football supporters and their arguments in favour lack depth and reason
A daughters friend was over, works in a training establishment that sees England team training
Spoilt brats she said and she's 22
I would rather walk past a drunk rugby player or fan than a sober footballer
As said before the attitude and behaviour of player and fan says it all
"Can you justify your behaviour?"
I agree with most things said, but sadly the professional rugby era will eventually give way to football-like play-acting.
You can already see it creeping in.
In my opinion, football has replaced religion for many many people. It gives them something to do, think about and it unites people together. They get to feel that their part of a team and its their job to support and defend that team from all opponents. Its not a game for some, it defines them. Clashes between fans are religious wars these days. Imagine if there were no police at a big football match, it would be a bloodbath. Same match but rugby, friendly handshakes all round.
Rugby...just a bunch of blokes hugging each other in the middle of a field with some white lines on it.
Football...just a bunch of blokes hugging each other in the middle of a field with some white lines on it.
Give me motor racing any day. Vroom Vroom.
I used to have a job serving beer in the Madejski Stadium. The job was terrible, but money is money. I decided that football fans are the biggest
bumholes of society. Every match, I would get all sorts of abuse hurled at me by impatient, indignant, entitled football fans. It was soul destroying.
The football licence didn't allow us to serve alcohol during play, so just before half time we would get about 50 pints lined up ready to go so
that we could take the cash and hand a pint over as fast as possible. There would always be a few people horrified at the thought of beer that's
been left standing for two minutes, so they would make us pour a fresh one. The pumps were extremely slow, which held up the queue, then the people
behind would give us some abuse for taking so long.
Then on Sundays we would have a rugby match. Granted, the rugby crowds were only about 5-7,000 compared to 25,000 for football, but it was a much
nicer experience. We could serve alcohol through the whole game and people were allowed to take their drinks onto the stand. If there was ever a
problem, like a barrel needed swapping, people smiled and waited for us to fix it. We sometimes had a chat about how the game was going. Sometimes
they even joked about how it must be nicer to work a rugby game than football. Opposing fans were mixed in the same stands, so we often saw groups of
them chatting and throwing some banter around.
There was such a big contrast between the attitudes of the fans. I won't pretend rugby players are saints, but they do tend to respect the
officials more.
I've never been all that interested in football. The worst thing about it these days is the constant flopping to the ground. It's not
because they're soft and get injured easily, it's because they're hamming it up for the referee to get a free kick. It just spoils the
flow of the game in my opinion. Notice how players don't often flop down when they're in their own half? Not much of an advantage there.