You want to compare rugby and American football?

i just don't like the stop/start nature of american football. and the fact many of the players never touch the ball. give me a free-flowing, fast-paced game of rugby league any day. the unstructured parts of american football seem to be the most exciting. stopping after every play and regrouping, it takes away from the game. i agree that they're both physical games, but the massive fat guys would be a deadset liability in a game of rugby. they couldn't keep up without getting a breather every ten seconds.

1, I have never said it is a woman's sport! 2. to many "huddles " for my likening 3. No flow to the game! 4. loads of fecking cheating! As to your comments........ I disagree with this rule, the BALL is the game, it is the BALL that scores the points! It is a BALL game, not a personnel one! High tackles around the neck can cause serious injury and should not be allowed! I have witnessed a player being tackled in the air and his rugby career has now ended!!!!!!! Lack of protection!!!!! As you rightly pointed out! Second part of your question..........I will go for the former! Although I enjoy watching league but never American football..........I find as a mother of four, the game takes to long, sorry..........Union is my favourite!

You forgot the main difference! Your going to hospital if you get on the wrong side of a ruck when playing rugby union!

THANK YOU. I keep trying to make this very basic point to a lot of non-Americans who criticize gridiron players for being soft. Both games are rough, but the simple fact is that most of the hits that take place in football would get you a yellow card in rugby. Unlike in rugby, there is no rule in football that requires you to take a player to the ground safely. Football is a MUCH more violent game. It was almost banned in the early days, because so many players were dying -- literally *dying* -- on the field. In 1905 alone, 18 players died. That's when pads and helmets began to become commonplace, and dangerous mass plays like the flying wedge were banned. Look it up if you don't believe me. I absolutely love both sports, but people who say football is soft simply do not understand it. Simple as that. Rugby is a contact sport. Football is a collision sport. Thumbs-down all you want. You're just proving my point. http://www.yaledailynews.com/articles/view/15754

Rugby is more dangerous because they don't have any helmets or anything.

I like the Rugby.

Another difference....A game of American football goes on for hours but the ball is 'in play' for only a few minutes. The rest of the time is spent in a huddle discussing what to do next. Every time they advance a few feet they have a great celebration, high fives etc....a bit like trench warefare in WWI but not as much fun.

They're different sports. There are some similarities and they have the same origin but as with Rugby Union/Rugby League they are different games with different rules, different positions and different required skills. It's all a matter of taste which you prefer. Personally I love Rugby Union and think Rugby League and American football are crappy but that's only my opinion. As for 'manliness' I think all three are manly and tough and that there wouldn't be excessive padding in American football without a good reason.

And the award for stating the bleeding obvious goes to... *drum roll*... The Joker!!! I've never heard another European calling Gridiron a woman's sport except as a joke to deliberately wind Americans up. American Football would be so much better as a sport if it didn't stop all the time and these over the top celebrations you see after every play were stopped. Fair enough the players are pumped up but some of the celebrations you see are just obscene and frankly unsporting.