Do I support my team or my son

[HatterDon]

Yes, that tin pot sport

'such a tin pot sports...'

where players respect the referee and when points are scored, they're for the team and players don't feel the need for penetrative sex on field after scoring.

Sorry, all I can think of when international rugby is discussed these days is the 300lb England player completely poleaxing an opponent with a right to the side of his head. Evidently, he was sent to his room without supper but said enough Hail Mary's to be reinstated to the England squad.

I must admit, though, that this violent image did supplant the previous image of rugby I had, which was the player biting a bag of blood in his mouth in order to get the clock stopped, and then winking at the sideline doctor at the success of his ploy.

Yes, this sport shows entirely TOO MUCH respect for authority and sportsmanship to ever be called "tin pot."

[Burt]

If you take it down to that level...every sport has its issues.

With the possible exception of curling.

[LBNo11]

...in the days I played rugby it was largely (at my level) indisciplined and survival of the roughest.

The sport has evolved tremendously since becoming professional, there is an absolute requirement to play by the rules, the referees are respected as they have played the sport themselves. The rules imposed in the last 20 years make the game more structured and faster and more flowing. Yes there are the odd abhorrent incidents, but by comparison to Association football, rugby comes out whiter than white.

Those who criticise Rugby usually do so out of ignorance of the rules or dismiss it because someone else they know says it's crap and just big bully toffs knocking hell out of each other. If ignorance is bliss they must be very happy...

[dtowndough]

If you take it down to that level...every sport has its issues.

With the possible exception of curling.

How dare you bring up Curling!  Who actually knows enough about curling to know the levels of cheating.  I'll have to research this now. 

[HatterDon]

...in the days I played rugby it was largely (at my level) indisciplined and survival of the roughest.

The sport has evolved tremendously since becoming professional, there is an absolute requirement to play by the rules, the referees are respected as they have played the sport themselves. The rules imposed in the last 20 years make the game more structured and faster and more flowing. Yes there are the odd abhorrent incidents, but by comparison to Association football, rugby comes out whiter than white.

Those who criticise Rugby usually do so out of ignorance of the rules or dismiss it because someone else they know says it's crap and just big bully toffs knocking hell out of each other. If ignorance is bliss they must be very happy...

Ed, I enjoy rugby -- I don't enjoy the League version as much as Rugby Union [sorry, Julian], and I understand how the game works. What I DO react to is when people use it to put down other sports -- especiallywhen, in my view, those put-downs come from the moral superiority of the way the game is played. As we have seen on many many occasions just in the last 12 months, there are cheats, posers, and flouters of the rules in all sports, and this includes rugby -- even at the international level. I don't think it denigrates the sport to point out that it's there. I will say that I DON'T remember either of the two incidents I cited either happening or being condoned when Rugby Union was still "a ruffians game played by gentlemen."

I withdraw from the field.

[Burt]

If you take it down to that level...every sport has its issues.

With the possible exception of curling.

How dare you bring up Curling!  Who actually knows enough about curling to know the levels of cheating.  I'll have to research this now. 

Excellent! Let me know what you find. Tampering with the granite, perhaps, or something to do with those brushes they use.

[Bigmamma]

Yes, that tin pot sport

'such a tin pot sports...'

where players respect the referee and when points are scored, they're for the team and players don't feel the need for penetrative sex on field after scoring.

Sorry, all I can think of when international rugby is discussed these days is the 300lb England player completely poleaxing an opponent with a right to the side of his head. Evidently, he was sent to his room without supper but said enough Hail Mary's to be reinstated to the England squad.

I must admit, though, that this violent image did supplant the previous image of rugby I had, which was the player biting a bag of blood in his mouth in order to get the clock stopped, and then winking at the sideline doctor at the success of his ploy.

Yes, this sport shows entirely TOO MUCH respect for authority and sportsmanship to ever be called "tin pot."

I never really watched rugby until my son decided he wanted to play.  I often wince at the hits the children take during a match.  One of our players was in hospital for 2 nights with concussion last week.  Another had his ear torn off.  My son didn't come off during the game because he broke his thumb - he mentioned it at the end of the match.  Yet at the end of every game, they shake everyones hand and are all buddies.

My son has went for trails at his school, a couple of the kids took one look at him all geared up and walked out.  It is a tough sport but they are real sportsmen.  If they aren't, they are sent off, usually by their own coaches. 

I really enjoy it now but how they keep getting up hit after hit, I have no idea.  I think it would be a good idea if all boys play rugby for one year.  The disapline is much, much stricter in rugby as the risk of injury is so much higher, no namby pamby playacting or parents ranting (they get sent off too), either that or bring that level of disapline into children's football, it would help the children enormously.

[Bigmamma]

P.s.  Note - I speak from experience with children's football as I used to ref.  I gave that up mainly because of the abusive parents but the difference between the two attitudes to the respective sports is enormous.

[BalDrick]

P.s.  Note - I speak from experience with children's football as I used to ref.  I gave that up mainly because of the abusive parents but the difference between the two attitudes to the respective sports is enormous.

Yep I can vouch rugby parents are a different breed to football dads. Couldn't have summed up the difference between the sports better than by saying he didn't tell anyone about his broken thumb until after the game, even though all players need their thumbs in rugby and only the keepers do in football, you just know a footballer would have come off.

Good to read he's obviously enjoying it.