Quote:
Originally Posted by Northern Monkey
Rugby is a thug's game played by gentlemen (and ladies so it seems), football is a gentleman's game played by thugs. So I'm told.
Footballers spend 90 minutes pretending to be injured, rugby players spend 80 minutes pretending not to be injured.
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There is a great amount of respect enforced in rugby, for your team and the opposition. It's one of the fundamental aspects of the rules that is drilled into young players and I think it is something that exists in football but with more of the attitude is 'just don't get caught' or whatever you want to see it as. You don't have much time to think about playing dirty in rugby because you're having to think so hard all the time to get that ball where it needs to be that you just don't think about slowing the game down with bad sportsmanship.
As for pretending not to be injured, I clashed heads with someone on wednesday and took an elbow to the head at the same time, was really painful, but I was straight back up again to fill the gap in the defense, so I can certainly see where you are coming from, but it's again mostly because there just is no time for feeling sorry for yourself haha.
It's quite amusing because I started seeing my boyfriend around the same time I started playing rugby, so I've spent our relationship covered in bruises and scratches. I look like I've been beaten some weeks! I currently have the bruises from fingertips left on my arm which are visible if I'm wearing a tshirt and we're always making jokes about it to our friends. I love the game though so it is worth the odd bruise.
I have to say, as a 20yr old who hasn't played competitive sport since school, and used to only compete in athletic events, it's refreshing to play a team sport that requires so much trust and skill and it's great to be trying something completely new.