RUGBY!!!

Tank · 11-25-2008, 01:31 PM

Does anybody else on this site watch rugby? I have to tell you, watching teams like New Zealand (All Blacks), South Africa, France, Australia, etc... play rugby is as exciting as it gets. I especially enjoy watching the All Blacks play and enjoy their pre-game Haka! The Haka gets me pumped like no other!!!!!

YouTube - The Haka - New Zealand Vs Tonga

YouTube - Wales v New Zealand Nov 2008 - The Haka

cycloneace55 · 11-25-2008, 01:40 PM

I have watched 6 nations rugby in the past and find the sport itself facinating. The All Blacks are by far the most fun to watch, but Australia and South Aftica were pretty good too. I have not seen a game in a while but its entertaining once you learn some of the rules. The Haka is somthing to watch and has its roots deep in to Maori tradition, its pretty cool that they still do it.

johnsonjj · 11-25-2008, 03:11 PM

Originally Posted by cycloneace55

The All Blacks are by far the most fun to watch, but Australia and South Aftica were pretty good too. ...The Haka is somthing to watch and has its roots deep in to Maori tradition, its pretty cool that they still do it.

Gotta disagree with you here. I lived in South Africa for ~4 years before moving back to the US this year. While the All Blacks, the New Zealand national team wearing all black uniforms, are like the NY Yankees of rugby, watching my Springboks (South African national team named after a small African antelope) make the run to the World Cup title was awesome last year.

The HAKA is a traditional war dance, but the modern version most used by the All Blacks is "Kapa O Pango" rather than the original "Ka Mate" and is scoffed at a bit by many of the Maori people. Anyway, the All Blacks perform this very-aggressive-in-your-face dance to intimidate the opposing team. I loved the shot when they did that to the South African team once when I was watching, and the South Africans stood in a line and watched with polite indifference, then when out and showed them that real men show what they have on the field, not before the game! Still got my world cup cap and T-Shirt!

I always struggled to understand some of the penalties , but i was told not to worry as the refs didn't know the rules either!

clones_jer · 11-25-2008, 03:14 PM

Originally Posted by johnsonjj

I always struggled to understand some of the penalties , but i was told not to worry as the refs didn't know the rules either!

I played club at ISU for a couple years and whored for some other teams ... the rules still baffle me.

josier · 11-25-2008, 03:15 PM

I spent 2 weeks in New Zealand a couple of years ago which coincided with the start of their Super 12 (?) league which I was told is comparable to Rugby's version of the NFL. We spent a few nights watching games at local pubs and the locals tried to teach us the rules. I loved watching Rugby and all of us couldn't figure out why it's never caught on in the US.

For the record, we also watched some Cricket which made Soccer seem exciting.

SolonCy · 11-25-2008, 03:23 PM

I played rugby for about 15 years; started in Iowa Falls, couple of years for ISU and the finished with BlackHawks in Waterloo.

The knock-on rule (NO passing or "knocking" the ball forward) and the offsides (no activity on opponents sides of ball; and on kicks, kicker is the offsides line) are prolly the most confusing rules. But when you first start to play, it feels like "kill the guy with the ball" LOVED IT!!

SC Cy · 11-25-2008, 03:23 PM

Originally Posted by clones_jer

I played club at ISU for a couple years and whored for some other teams ... the rules still baffle me.

I played for the first year of the Sioux City Swine. I've yet to get the rules too. I still don't understand kicking it out of bounds so many times!

BryceC · 11-25-2008, 03:24 PM

I lived in Australia all summer in 2003 and that was right in the middle of their season - I went to an Australian national team game against Wales and I also got the chance to go to a "State of Origin" match which pits players from the state of New South Wales against Queensland players and it's a huge deal there. I mean huge. There was a guy who's head got split wide open and they were stapling it shut on the sideline. Trainer was popping them in right there.

It was a fun time to be there and we watched "Friday Night Footy" at the bar or at home almost every week.

clones_jer · 11-25-2008, 03:24 PM

Originally Posted by josier

I spent 2 weeks in New Zealand a couple of years ago which coincided with the start of their Super 12 (?) league which I was told is comparable to Rugby's version of the NFL. We spent a few nights watching games at local pubs and the locals tried to teach us the rules. I loved watching Rugby and all of us couldn't figure out why it's never caught on in the US.

For the record, we also watched some Cricket which made Soccer seem exciting.

Rugby is played at the club level all over the US.

I guess the best answer is that it is here ... it's just in its Americanized form: Football.

Football evolved from rugby and just became more popular over here. Rugby had the upper hand before Walter Camp started changing things.

Clonefan94 · 11-25-2008, 03:25 PM

Originally Posted by Tank

Does anybody else on this site watch rugby? I have to tell you, watching teams like New Zealand (All Blacks), South Africa, France, Australia, etc... play rugby is as exciting as it gets. I especially enjoy watching the All Blacks play and enjoy their pre-game Haka! The Haka gets me pumped like no other!!!!!

YouTube - The Haka - New Zealand Vs Tonga

YouTube - Wales v New Zealand Nov 2008 - The Haka

Do they actually play a sport or is it just a testosterone filled version of "West Side Story?"

J/K couldn't help it.

I was actually one of the recipients of the New Zealand ' The Haka right before a boating/rowing competition. It's pretty intimidating being on the receiving end. Pretty cool that they have a National Challenge dance.

SolonCy · 11-25-2008, 03:26 PM

by the way, if anybody else on this message board is in that photo posted in the sports club trophy case in Beyer Gym (the muddy field at the Mardi Gras Rugby tournament after playing Georgia Tech) I'd like to hear from you!!

josier · 11-25-2008, 03:35 PM

Originally Posted by clones_jer

Rugby is played at the club level all over the US.

I guess the best answer is that it is here ... it's just in its Americanized form: Football.

Football evolved from rugby and just became more popular over here. Rugby had the upper hand before Walter Camp started changing things.

That's the conclusion we came up with too. Given how pervasive football is in all it's forms, Rugby would have a difficult time re-establishing itself on a bigger stage than local clubs.

I did have a hard time picking up the rules, but one of the locals in New Zealand that was helping us said when he spent time in the US he watched football and he had just as difficult of a time figuring out the rules of American football.

Tank · 11-25-2008, 03:35 PM

I also spent some time in Australia where I really grew to love the sport. Also got to play a little with the Penrith Rats which is a small suburb of Sydney, it was great!

My father played rugby back in the 60's - 70's with a club in Harlan, he still had separated ribs from it!

SolonCy · 11-25-2008, 03:48 PM

At one time there were close to 40 teams in Iowa, mostly college and town teams playing Fall and Spring seasons. There were A, B, and C divisions.

The All-Iowa Tournament was in May every year and pretty much all teams in iowa came to compete.

SC Cy · 11-25-2008, 04:08 PM

I could be wrong but I think the All Blacks are playing a few games here in the USA sometime next summer.