Rugby - I don't get it

kafka

Although I was forced to play it at school, it's never meant anything to me. However, as a sports fan, I don't like the fact that I don't really understand it. For example:
why do you get a scrum?
why does the ball stay in there for ages before someone kicks it out?
Throw ins: why don't they throw it just a bit towards there team's line?
Offside??
Penalties?

any one care to enlighten me?

GretnaGreenAddick

Im the same have no understanding of the rules and whenever someone starts explaining i lose interest after about a minute, their is a reason only 6/8 countries care about it. ;-)

Mortimerician

No, I'm with you, it's pish. The reason all the fans can sit together without any fear of trouble is that it doesn't instill any passion. Seems to appeal more to nationalistic pride than sporting interest.

Croydon

You get a scrum for a knock on(dropping the ball forwards),forward pass,accidental offsides(running into a member of your own team when in possession of the ball),being held up over the tryline,if the opposition place the ball down in their own try area having carried it over themselves,when the ball is unplayable at the bottom of a ruck and if a maul stops moving. I think that's most of the reasons.

Line-outs (throw-ins)-have to be thrown straight or a scrum to the opposition

Offside-if in front of the kicker on your own team,standing less than 5 metres from the back of a scrum,standing less than 10 metres from a lineout (unless you're a scrumhalf) or standing in front of the back foot of a ruck or maul

Penalties-given for any infringement of the offside rule,or any foul play ranging from obstructions to dangerous tackles.

Hope that helps!

nth_london_addick

Don't try and get it , it's pants how you can get a pen that far from goal is poo

Folev the red

I dont get line outs.
How come sometimes you can kick the ball out and then you get to throw it back into play instead of the opposition??

JT

Stop start.

Croydon

Folev the red said:

I dont get line outs.
How come sometimes you can kick the ball out and then you get to throw it back into play instead of the opposition??

If you kick it into touch from a penalty the ball remains yours for the line out

Mendonca In Asdas

Cauliflower ears , i hate Cauliflower.

se9addick

I quite like the idea of rugby, it sounds like it should be a good sport but when you try and sit down and watch a match the reality is quite different.

As above there is a reason why it's only popular in very few countries.

Callumcafc

(Love football, of course, but) I like rugby, tennis, cricket and even enjoyed the American Football the other night. Shoot me.

I_Saw_Semedo_Score

Used to play it at school. Boring as fuck and if there's a sport out there which genuinely requires less talent then I haven't seen it. If you're either fat, or fast (and can catch), you can play at a decent standard. Even I did.

The amount of times my trips to The Valley were potentially in jeopardy because I had to represent my school at this two-bob sport was enough to make me hate it. Rant over. Oh, and each to their own.

Oakster

Love cricket but have absolutely no interest whatsoever in rugger - don't think I have ever watched more than 5 minutes of a game. Just isn't for me - probably goes back to my school days - the rugby brigade generally had no interest in football and vice-versa.

Valley11

Personally love it. International games are amazing. Certainly loads of passion. And I love the fact that fans sit together. Loads of stick but shake hands at the end.
In many ways I prefer it to football. Players are nearer in monetary terms to fans than Rooney, Tevez etc.

Huskaris

I find Rugby Union intolerably boring (largely because of scrum time) Rugby League however I find unbelievably fun.

LawrieAbrahams

I_Saw_Semedo_Score said:

Used to play it at school. Boring as fuck and if there's a sport out there which genuinely requires less talent then I haven't seen it. If you're either fat, or fast (and can catch), you can play at a decent standard. Even I did.

The amount of times my trips to The Valley were potentially in jeopardy because I had to represent my school at this two-bob sport was enough to make me hate it. Rant over. Oh, and each to their own.

That's why it's popular in schools because kids of all shapes and sizes can play.
I think it's tedious. Too stop start, too many rules and too many penalties.

I_Saw_Semedo_Score

LawrieAbrahams said:

I_Saw_Semedo_Score said:

Used to play it at school. Boring as fuck and if there's a sport out there which genuinely requires less talent then I haven't seen it. If you're either fat, or fast (and can catch), you can play at a decent standard. Even I did.

The amount of times my trips to The Valley were potentially in jeopardy because I had to represent my school at this two-bob sport was enough to make me hate it. Rant over. Oh, and each to their own.

That's why it's popular in schools because kids of all shapes and sizes can play.
I think it's tedious. Too stop start, too many rules and too many penalties.

Not as popular as people make out mate. Nearly everyone in our first team, including myself, much preferred football. Same with friends at other schools who were indoctrinated into it. It's just rubbish really, as a game. Basic. My view only, of course.

LawrieAbrahams

I meant from the teachers point of view.

Ormiston_Addick

Rugby Union has way too many rules and too many penalties, too much reward for kicking games rather than running-based attack.

Rugby League can be quite interesting but gets very formulaic and predictable after a while, the players are extremely fit these days, I played a couple of games of RL and getting back those 10 metres every tackle is bloody hard work.

Leuth

I know all the rules (give or take) and once counted myself a fan. But as I got older I realised that my own tastes were fatally bound in the opposite direction, away from its pageantry, contrivance and valorisation of 'manliness' - the very mood of the sport was the sort of testosterone ball-pond that requires its participants to line up in an orderly fashion, feign some sort of respect for the referee and each other, and then go over the top, machine guns blazing, into a ridiculous and somehow tragic celebration of Real Men doing Real Things. Of course, living in New Zealand for three months didn't help much.

killerandflash

Ormiston Addick said:

Rugby Union has way too many rules and too many penalties, too much reward for kicking games rather than running-based attack.

Rugby League can be quite interesting but gets very formulaic and predictable after a while, the players are extremely fit these days, I played a couple of games of RL and getting back those 10 metres every tackle is bloody hard work.

I agree, Union can be too dominated by teams grinding out attack, and waiting for the penalty to get the 3 points. the weekend's 6 nations games were pleasantly open though.

Watching the Olympics, Hockey seems to be struggling with a similarish issue, where teams are finding it really hard to score from open play, and rely on penalty corners.

kafka

Croydon said:

You get a scrum for a knock on(dropping the ball forwards),forward pass,accidental offsides(running into a member of your own team when in possession of the ball),being held up over the tryline,if the opposition place the ball down in their own try area having carried it over themselves,when the ball is unplayable at the bottom of a ruck and if a maul stops moving. I think that's most of the reasons.

Line-outs (throw-ins)-have to be thrown straight or a scrum to the opposition

Offside-if in front of the kicker on your own team,standing less than 5 metres from the back of a scrum,standing less than 10 metres from a lineout (unless you're a scrumhalf) or standing in front of the back foot of a ruck or maul

Penalties-given for any infringement of the offside rule,or any foul play ranging from obstructions to dangerous tackles.

Hope that helps!

Only marginally. But thanks for trying.

chazza

I'd love to see the likes of bale, Suarez and the other cheats who throw themselves around on a rugby pitch. The thing with rugby is the players just get on with it, no surrounding the ref becausec they cant get their own way, no rolling around after chipping a finger nail etc, etc.

cs1986

Good game until they changed rules for tv. Scrums are basically uncontested now as ball is never put in straight. Sh't game now.

cafc999

I never used to like it but went to an England game at Twickenham and loved it ever since. The atmosphere at international matches are exceptional (for those that sit in the East and West stand can be assured that their are no flares or incest songs). Even been to Fance a few times to watch England and it has been trouble free and brilliant. Completely different sport to football so no point in comparing.

PL54

I think it's a great game. There are a lot of rules but it is not beyond the wit of man to understand them.

Players have respect for the referee, it's physical, punch ups are largely allowed on the pitch and it wasn't even a professional game until the mid 90s.

You can have a beer in your seat, the ladies who turn up are a far better standard than at football games and there is rivalry and "banter" between fans but limited (or no) violence.

I sat in the Welsh players' family seats for a game at Twickenham and England were winning well at half time so I was giving it plenty. By the time I got back from the bar after half time we were losing and I got pelters for the rest of the game. It was great.

Went to the corresponding fixture at Cardiff the following year and stood and sang "God Save YOUR Queen" at full voice to the Welsh around me much to their amusement. Went out in Bridgend that night - the most horrible place I have ever been to (Selhurst and Kavos included)

JT

The amount of toffs at Waterloo after the all blacks game in December was incredible. Having just come from the Den it really was the top and bottom end of society within a few hours.

Shag

Can't stand it or all the man love that goes with it . All that lets - put our bollocks in a pint glass in the bar after - not for me

Vinnie V.

If you watch the top ten goals of all time you will see beautiful curled free kicks, magnificently controlled volleys from 40 yards, & unbelievable skill and trickery.

If you watch the top 10 tries. It will always just be a fat lad running with a "ball" in his hand.

BIG_ROB

I was exactly the same, but got and watch a decent local side and you may change your mind. It ain't a bad game.

The only thing that I ain't too keen on is the snobbery involved, especially from those who obviously failed at football so will take the hatred of it to the grave.

Like me rugby, love me football.

Daarrzzetbum

It's a great game, full of passion and whole hearted commitment, my lad (also an Addick) plays a decent standard and prefers it to football and I watch more rugby these days that football. It’s a great day out be it club or international rugby with the grounds spectator friendly and players approachable.

I am becoming so disillusioned with football, prices, fans being ripped off, over paid players with no real affiliation to the team and too many bloody foreign players.