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Who is the best rugby union player of all time?

Can you be both in the Army and a Professional Rugby Player at the same time?

  • I want be in the Army but I said to my dad that if I couldn't get in the Army I'd go for being a professional rugby player because rugby is my favourite sport and my P.E teacher and my Rugby coach say I do very well at it, but I heard that you can be both so I thought if so I might try it. I'm just wondering is this true? Even if it isn't true can you still tell me what it takes to be a Professional Rugby player? Thanks.

  • Answer:

    The United States does not have professional rugby - the highest level is a sort of semi-professional (sponsor clubs help the lads find local jobs with supporters and cover travel and training expenses). So, if you are in the States, the answer is No. Looking at the Elite teams overseas, I would say that the answer also is No. This is because both - professional military and professional rugby - are full-time occupations in which you are under a contract that specifies your actions. There are rugby teams at many military bases, so - provided your assignment and performance are satisfactory, you would probably have a chance to play some rugby (actually some of it, for example at Quantico or LeJeuene with the USMC, is very high-level senior-men's rugby. Because of the physical maturity and outstanding physicalal condition of young men in the militrary, playing against that level of competition would be a huge challenge to almost all recent high-school graduates). There would be nothing to prevent you from trying to establish yourself with a professional rugby team after you complete your service obligations. In terms of playing professionally as a US citizen, study up on the cases of US players who are playing professional rugby: they all had to go overseas (ENG, FRA, IT, JAP; one to a Super 14 team in RSA; none have played Super 15 in NZ or AUS, but some US players are in the club systems in AUS and NZ. And to get their overseas tryouts, they had to work their way up through the US Club system, and then be recommended by top-level coaches here. Based on where you live, find out what the senior men's system look like in your area, where the nearest Super League team is, and try to establish come connections. You HS coach should be able to help you with this. Mark L.

Mark L at Yahoo! Answers Visit the source

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No -- in the modern age elite rugby players are full-time professionals. It a grueling full-time job with no time or opportunity to pursue other career options. This wasn't true thirty or forty years ago, but things have changed. And just to get there you must (1) be a genetically gifted athlete and (2) subject yourself to years of training. Just have fun with your rugby today, play and train hard, do well in school and then see what happens.

blm

Yes & no. Normally if there is a chance of being a professional the player would ask for unpaid leave for the duration of the contract. While under contract the player would still remain an employee of the army, returning to duty to finish there service at the end of there contract. Former Northampton Saints player is an example for you. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Budgen

s

Pursue your military career first, the chances of having a pro-rugby career in the USA would be very limited. Unless you are prepared to go overseas to either Europe or Australasia and even then with hundreds of players in these countries your chances of a pro-rugby career may come to nothing. Sorry to sound negative here but maybe think of it this way, how many young men from say Europe or Australia would make it in the big time of American football or even in the semi-pro league ?

Charlie

As a rule of thumb, being a professional sportsman means just that. You make your living playing that sport. Working, in the armed forces or otherwise, you have to devote time to your employment with sport being an adjunct to the employment.

Bill P

Sure - think of the Royal Marine - can't recall his name - who played full back for England.

Big Willy

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