Football

[benCA]

have you played real football?

[mastodon]

i would have to say that soccer requires more skill than american football and rugby. anyone who plays these sports at the professional level are incredible athletes nonetheless. i respect them all.

[AmericanDMfan]

I don't understand all the arguments over which sports are "wussy" and which are for "real men". I live in the U.S., and I've played American football, football(I hate how we call it "soccer" here, it's such a stupid name), and rugby, and they all require a good deal of skill and physical prowess. That being said, I'd have to say that rugby is the toughest of the three. It requires the stamina and running of football mixed in with the tackling and overall brutality of American football. And it requires far superior ball handling skills than the other two. Just try hitting a hole at full speed and trying to catch a ball your mate pops up to you without warning, all the while knowing your going to get leveled, and you'll see what I mean. As far as toughness goes, rugby definitely has an edge on American football. Sure, you normally aren't going to get hit away from the ball, as you may be in Am. football, but you end up spending most of the match involved in the play (and a good deal of it at the bottom of a pile getting stepped on and gouged). Besides, I just don't see many Am. football players lasting 80 minutes on a field with no subs and a 10 minute half. The stoppages in play for penalties are much shorter than in Am. football, and being given a scrum 70 minutes into a match when your dead tired isn't much of a reward, especially when it ends up collpasing on you. This isn't to knock any of the sports, as they all require more toughness and physical skills than say baseball or basketball, but I believe rugby to be the most challenging and also the most enjoyable. It's the only sport I still play.

[benCA]

mastadon

I agree that anyone who plays soccer, football or rugby is an incredible athlete. but I don't agree with your statement about soccer requiring more skills. I've never played rugby, but in football, there are many positions, in some position you just have to be big and fat, in other position you do have to have special skills. Positions such as Defensive Back, Wide Receiver and QB.

[NZman]

Association football requires a lot of finesse to play it and the skill level is very high. It's also played for 90 minutes with only 3 substitution. It's better when it's played by women

How many minutes does a fancy dress footballer stay on the pitch for? In rugby you play for 80 minutes. I play stand off / five eighths / fly half depending on where in the world you come from. That's 80 minutes of constant offence and defence, no mincing on the side sucking in oxygen 'cos' I is so over weight. I is not a forward but I is putting in constant tackles and I is not dressed like a tank, just me and me body.

The most woofy position in Rugby is a winger. Players that can do 100m in 11 seconds, that play for 80 minutes and need to play defence and offence and take the ball up on occasion to give the forward a rest. How many defensive plays do the wide receivers take part in.

Rugby is also a constant sport and players must have the energy, ability and skill to play for the full 80 minutes.

Love the NZman Missing the Auckland Warriors.

Why int there a world cup in fancy dress football? surely the world would play it if it were any good.

[NZman]

For the UN-believer

USA Rugby Sites
http://www.usarugby.org/
http://www.usa-eagles.org/

These dudes are amatuers and can site player professional players for 80 minutes. They is playing England this summer.

NZ Rugby League web sites.

My Team
http://www.warriors.co.nz/
http://homepages.ihug.co.nz/~field_7/

NZ Rugby League in general

http://www.rugbyleague.co.nz/


Love NZman

[benCA]

fine NZman

will you beat me one on one in football?
if its a sissy sports, then manly NZman should have no problem beating any sissy who play american football.