Why are rugby people so sanctimonious/superior ?

[Benwell Lad]

Watching Gareth Thomas speaking on BBC, the interviewers implied that if he had been a footballer he would have not had such support as his team mates would have been too ignorant and homophobic to understand him. Credit to him he did not support that view.

Of course had it been a footballer coming out it the tone would have been more along the lines of "we always knew they were a bunch of nancy boys who love embracing each other but you'd never get that in rugby - it's a real man's sport"

 

I remember a few years ago a hotel on Tyneside where visiting rugby teams stayed and they behaved like absolute yobs around the gym and pool, but of course in their superior way it was just boys having fun. Had it been a football team (who by and large behave impeccably) no doubt the police would have been called and it would have been headline news.

Is it because TV and media are still controlled by ex public school boy football haters in this day and age ?

 

Got to say I've never understood why grown men wanted to roll around in the mud groping each other anyway.

[Ronaldo]

Got to say I've never understood why grown men wanted to roll around in the mud groping each other anyway.

 

Should be obvious mate.

[cp40]

they have no shame, they bum each other.

[LesPaul]

They're all posh boys that like to play with eachother in mud. I hate the current rugby craze that's going on in my country at the momment. It's only because the Irish team and Munster and Leinster have been winning. Hopefully they'll go back to being shit again.

[Cronky]

I share your irritation at this. It's true that rugby players don't argue with referees as much as footballers do, and that does a lot to harm the image of our game with non-football fans, I feel.

 

But there's so much thuggery going on in rugby which gets excused in ridiculous ways. As an example, in the British Lions tour to South Africa recently, a South African was spotted by a touch judge gouging an opponent's eyes. He didn't get sent off even when it was reported to the ref, and when he got a ban of about 6 weeks, someone in the South African management said it was only part of the game.

 

I agree it's also annoying when rugby players as a group start throwing their weight around in hotels and bars.

[Guest Pie]

they have no shame, they bum each other.

Public school games man - everyone must bend ower

 

Rugby is just a load of fat blokes bending over and shoving fingers up each others arses

There has to be a reason cricketers bend over so often in the slips whilst their "master" buckles their turdtrap

Only goalkeepers got it when football developed obviously

 

Dont even get me started on equestrianism -thats just lesbians into beastiality and a bit of clit rubbing. Unless they suck them off as well like.

 

Thats my theory anyway

[Thespence]

The atmosphere is a lot friendlier at Kingston Park than SJP that much should be obvious to anyone who has went & watched a few games at both grounds.

 

The players however are with some of the shit that has went on recently: eye gouging, bloodgate, a player getting knocked out in training knowhere near as sportsmen like as football players in the main.

[Guest Heneage]

I had an old PE teacher, that used to say 'It's 5 points for a try and 1 for a goal in football because Rugby's 5 times better.' I used to think that was utter bollocks and still do. I'm all for liking other sports, but it's this insinuation that all Footballers are soft that annoys me.

[Guest Pie]

I had an old PE teacher, that used to say 'It's 5 points for a try and 1 for a goal in football because Rugby's 5 times better.' I used to think that was utter bollocks and still do. I'm all for liking other sports, but it's this incinuation that all Footballers are soft that annoys me.

What is it that you're training to be? Is that a burning desire?

[AyeDubbleYoo]

I really like Rugby, and the players are proper athletes. What they go through in an average game I would suggest is much worse than an average footballer.

 

But there is a lot of dirty play that goes on in a game that seems to be accepted - throwing punches, stamping, scratching, raking with studs, all sorts. This sort of thing is just ignored really, not sure why. The macho thing is a big part of it.

 

I suppose the better reputation of rugby is due to a few things. Firstly, it is not a working class sport, meaning players on TV are usually quite well educated, eloquent and have posh accents.

 

Also, they are seen to be very respectful to officials, which is fair enough - they are. Then there is the lack of whinging, diving and feigning injury, which I think deserves a lot of credit.

 

The class thing is a big factor, when public schoolboys make noise and get up to no good it's just good fun, when comprehensive school lads do it it's thuggery.

 

 

[Benwell Lad]

I've really got nowt against rugby, it's sometimes watchable and I like to see the Falcons and other NE teams win.

It's just the superior way they look down their nose at football that irritates me.

I spoke to a woman recently who kept dropping the line that she had to "pick up her son from rugby" in a way that was supposed to mean "we're superior because little Johnny plays rugby not football". Pathetic.

 

Also should in no way be confused with rugby league - a game where the blood is always real.

[Thespence]

Haway man Kezman, I watch rugby league, union & football there is no way most footballers could handle  the physical challanges of rugby league or the rucks of union.

[Colos Short and Curlies]

The story was run on Saturday, its now Tuesday and despite all of the shite weather etc we've had its still the headline sotry in South Wales.

 

Does it really matter to people that much that a guy happens to pack fudge?

[Guest Pie]

I really like Rugby, and the players are proper athletes. What they go through in an average game I would suggest is much worse than an average footballer.

 

But there is a lot of dirty play that goes on in a game that seems to be accepted - throwing punches, stamping, scratching, raking with studs, all sorts. This sort of thing is just ignored really, not sure why. The macho thing is a big part of it.

 

I suppose the better reputation of rugby is due to a few things. Firstly, it is not a working class sport, meaning players on TV are usually quite well educated, eloquent and have posh accents.

 

Also, they are seen to be very respectful to officials, which is fair enough - they are. Then there is the lack of whinging, diving and feigning injury, which I think deserves a lot of credit.

 

The class thing is a big factor, when public schoolboys make noise and get up to no good it's just good fun, when comprehensive school lads do it it's thuggery.

 

 

It is complete shite from beginning to end really. Too many fat fuckers play to make it a sport.

[Guest Pie]

The story was run on Saturday, its now Tuesday and despite all of the shite weather etc we've had its still the headline sotry in South Wales.

 

Does it really matter to people that much that a guy happens to pack fudge?

Don't they all?

[AyeDubbleYoo]

I've reall got nowt against rugby, it's sometimes watchable and I like to see the Falcons and other NE teams win.

It's just the superior way look down their nose at football that irritates me.

I spoke to a woman recently who kept dropping the line that she had to "pick up her son from rugby" in a way that was supposed to mean "we're superior because little Johnny plays rugby not football". Pathetic.

 

Also should in no way be confused with rugby league - a game where the blood is always real.

 

You're totally right about those people, don't get me wrong. There are a lot of people who look down on football.

 

It's not a coincidence that most footballers are working class while most rugby players are middle/upper. It's a cultural thing that has been many generations in the making.

[Liam Liam Liam O]

Haway man Kezman, I watch rugby league, union & football there is no way most footballers could handle  the physical challanges of rugby league or the rucks of union.

 

Likewise most rugby players couldn't compete in a game of football.

[Frazzle]

Haway man Kezman, I watch rugby league, union & football there is no way most footballers could handle  the physical challanges of rugby league or the rucks of union.

 

Likewise most rugby players couldn't compete in a game of football.

 

Skill-wise obviously but I'd say all backs in rugby would easily cope physically. 

[Frazzle]

I really like Rugby, and the players are proper athletes. What they go through in an average game I would suggest is much worse than an average footballer.

 

But there is a lot of dirty play that goes on in a game that seems to be accepted - throwing punches, stamping, scratching, raking with studs, all sorts. This sort of thing is just ignored really, not sure why. The macho thing is a big part of it.

 

I suppose the better reputation of rugby is due to a few things. Firstly, it is not a working class sport, meaning players on TV are usually quite well educated, eloquent and have posh accents.

 

Also, they are seen to be very respectful to officials, which is fair enough - they are. Then there is the lack of whinging, diving and feigning injury, which I think deserves a lot of credit.

 

The class thing is a big factor, when public schoolboys make noise and get up to no good it's just good fun, when comprehensive school lads do it it's thuggery.

 

 

 

Rugby league is a working class sport but the players still seem capable of respecting officials, unlike footballers.

[AyeDubbleYoo]

Rugby league is a working class sport but the players still seem capable of respecting officials, unlike footballers.

 

Yeah, totally, I didn't mean to say that they respected officials because they weren't working class, the two things are probably unrelated.

 

There's just a culture created in Rugby where it's unheard of to argue with the ref. If you do it you're looked down on even by your own team. I guess that might have developed from the public schools originally, but everyone who plays is affected by it.

[Benwell Lad]

Haway man Kezman, I watch rugby league, union & football there is no way most footballers could handle  the physical challanges of rugby league or the rucks of union.

 

Likewise most rugby players couldn't compete in a game of football.

 

Nor throw a javelin, drive a golf ball 300 yards or hit a six in cricket.

[Liam Liam Liam O]

Haway man Kezman, I watch rugby league, union & football there is no way most footballers could handle  the physical challanges of rugby league or the rucks of union.

 

Likewise most rugby players couldn't compete in a game of football.

 

Nor throw a javelin, drive a golf ball 300 yards or hit a six in cricket.

 

 

If any rugby players were good at football, they'd be playing it rather rugby.

[Thespence]

Haway man Kezman, I watch rugby league, union & football there is no way most footballers could handle  the physical challanges of rugby league or the rucks of union.

 

Likewise most rugby players couldn't compete in a game of football.

 

Most backs in league or union could handle 90 mins of football of course there ability would be in question. I cant think of many English footballers who could handle 80 mins of rugby.

[Thespence]

Haway man Kezman, I watch rugby league, union & football there is no way most footballers could handle  the physical challanges of rugby league or the rucks of union.

 

Likewise most rugby players couldn't compete in a game of football.

 

Nor throw a javelin, drive a golf ball 300 yards or hit a six in cricket.

 

 

If any rugby players were good at football, they'd be playing it rather rugby.

 

LLO man I was talking about the physical aspect not ability ffs 

[Liam Liam Liam O]

Haway man Kezman, I watch rugby league, union & football there is no way most footballers could handle  the physical challanges of rugby league or the rucks of union.

 

Likewise most rugby players couldn't compete in a game of football.

 

Most backs in league or union could handle 90 mins of football of course there ability would be in question. I cant think of many English footballers who could handle 80 mins of rugby.

 

It's all about conditioning though, given proper training & diets etc that wouldn't be the case.