Similarities between rugby and American football

As an American living in England, I’m constantly informed, in rather unpleasant terms, how my favorite sport – football – is not as good as Rugby. Rugby, as my English friends seem to like to tell me, is a sport of kings, a true gentleman’s sport, and a man’s sport, where the players don’t have to wear ‘poncy body armour’. Well, Rugby is a great sport, but here’s something else… so is football, and the two are very similar. What I would really like is for fans of rugby to start appreciating football, and vice-versa.

So for all you initiated Americans, I would like to explain some of the similarities, and to tell you a bit about rugby in general.

The term ‘touchdown’ is a rugby term. The player scores by “touching the ball down” in the other team’s goal (American football’s end zone). This is called a ‘try’ in Rugby. After a team scores a try they have a chance to kick the ball through the posts for a conversion. Sound familiar?

The above is a pretty obvious example, and is the main indicator of just how similar the sports are (along with the size and shape of the field, and the goals).

Another thing which I love has increased manifold in recent years with the introduction of new leagues and formats for rugby, such as the Superleague in England and the nrl rugby league and Super 14 competitions in Australia. Now the theatre and drama that we all love about football has finally spread to rugby, and the sport is so much better for it.

Rugby really is a great sport guys. Of course it’s not as good as football, but then, I ask, what is? I really suggest you check out a game. Or if that doesn’t happen, at least check youtube for some compilations of hard hitting rugby tackles. And remember… they don’t wear any poncy body armor!

Jeremy Collins is an exiled  football fan, who now fanatically follows non American contact sports too, and looks out for Super league rugby, US football, and nrl results on a daily basis