7 Reasons Why Rugby Is Better Than Soccer
I’m a sports lover. I’m absolutely obsessed with cricket and rugby and seldom miss international fixtures, while trying to catch as many provincial matches as possible. When there’s no cricket or rugby to watch I’ll happily waste time taking in whatever is on the telly with the exception of horse racing or showjumping, both of which give me the heebies. Can’t tell you why, they just do.
I watch club and international football selectively but because our national team leaves a little to be desired in terms of recent form and I don’t associate directly with any one Premiership or European club side, it’s not a life or death past time. Besides soccer irritates me, more and more every time I watch it. Especially when I compare the game of rugby and rugby players to their soccer counterparts. Here are seven reasons (seven points for a converted try) why rugby kicks soccer’s ass any day:
- The oval ball. Obviously less predictable in bounce and flight than a perfectly round ball, the oval rugby ball tests players’ skill when chasing along the ground, kicking and catching, and consequently introduces a magical element of chance into the game.
- Real men. Nothing gets to me more than the melodramatic, prima donna-esque nature of modern professional soccer players. These diving, falling, acting idiots detract from the beautiful game to such a degree that it is downright irritating to watch. Players that dive should be flayed in the streets… or something. Rugby players would rather bleed to death, bones protruding from their limbs, before leaving the field of play. A rugby player who dives will be killed by the other team, so he just doesn’t. Rugby players are gladiators. Tell me the McCaw’s, Smit’s, Sharpe’s, Spies’s and others would not have been generals in great armies. Of courrse they would have :)
- Respect for officials. Rugby players respect referees. They don’t push, hold, hug or scream at officials. If an official shows a card, a player leaves the field of pay. In soccer, if the ref shows a card, the players throw a festival on the pitch. It detracts from the quality of the game and wastes time.
- Camaraderie. Rugby players are like brothers. If a lock forward from one team picks a fight with the scrummie of another team, the scrummie’s forwards pile in like they’re protecting their wives. Soccer players fight too, BUT THEY FIGHT ON THE SAME SIDE!
- Regular scoring. If you see 3 or more goals in a soccer match you’re lucky. The rest of the time players spend their time fixing their hair and diving. Rugby has less on-pitch game time, but it’s not unusual to see in excess of thirty points scored in international games. Plus points can be scored via tries, penalties and drop goals, adding variety and excitement to the game.
- The Haka. Ok so I shouldn’t like the Haka (Maouri war dance) as much as I do, being a Springbok fan, but there is something deeply stirring about the All Blacks’ pre-match psychological and physical declaration. I crap myself just watching it on the telly – who knows what it’s like in real life?
- We can play rugby. Sorry Bafana Bafana, but you somehow don’t inspire as mcuh confidence in us fans as our rugby boys do, being world champions and all. Twice. Keep working at it though…
Would love to hear from the footballers… Bagley-son!?
Smaak this subject as I’m a HUGE Rugby fan and played provincial growing up, though I still enjoy following the premiership.
in all respect, Sport as a whole should be encouraged everywhere as it lays down the basic foundations of everyday challenges. Golf is a challenge, Rugby is a challenge, soccer is a challenge and even poker is a challenge, whether physical or skill, Sport teaches a person to be the very best he or she can be at something.
I believe that no matter what the challenge is, always try to be the Tiger Woods of your game!!
Hope the boks turn it around and give the Kiwis a run for their money!! (thumbs crossed)
Very nice post Mike! Soccer is a nice sport, but you right… rugby is the “shizzle” and nothing compares!!!! :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eKHtoYbiVPU
Most entertaining – even if that plastered digit of yours causes the odd typo. So the post functions as an IQ test for us as well. ;-)
‘Fixing their hair and diving’ hmmm? You betta hire a body guard to avoid having your eyes clawed out.
As a matter of interest, the Haka ain’t a wardance per se, but rather a deeply affecting (as you’ve experienced) invocation to the Ancestors to be present and make their presence and guidance felt.
Warmest, C
I totally hear you Mike. A rugby game that ended 6-3 would be considered one of the most boring matches ever, but a soccer game that ends 2-1 is praised as being “thrilling”!
On the other hand, rugby’s laws are preventing wide-spread popularity. Have you ever watched a game with a newbie and tried to explain why a penalty was just given after a scrum or a ruck (or even just explaining when a ruck starts?). Soccer is painfully simple, with almost no room for confusion in the laws, and so it is easy to follow and start playing. I hope the rugby gods are able to get to that point some how.
Nice post. A friend of mine always tells me, “If God wanted us to play rugby, he would have given us round testicles.”
I mean soccer, “If God wanted us to play soccder, he would have given us round testicles.”
lol
Mike, you strike me as one of those guys who turns the volume up when the Haka is done. I do…it’s awesome.
And I’m a Bok supporter through and through. It’s as if they save their best Haka for when they play our boys.
Also, we were the first team to witness the slightly more grotesque version. You know, the one the Pommies cried about and banned from Twickenham.
Perhaps this is the place I can ask for some sensible input – if you were a Pommie rugby & cricket fan/player on tour in SA (Gauteng 5 days/ CT 5 days probably) – what would be the Must-sees? Must-gos? Must-dos?
Soccer is an all around better sport. You’ve obviously never played in a soccer game. Diving is no reason to say soccer isn’t as good. I’m sure if one of your rugby players played soccer for a day he would learn to dive as well. Regular scoring is also completely bogus. I’ll admit rugby is a higher scoring game but it is choppy and stops frequently. Soccer flows and there is always excitement whether there is scoring or not, also… the haka? are you serious? its cool but that can’t even begin to be an argument on why rugby is a better sport. finally soccer actually takes skill to play the game in rugby all you really need is a basic knowledge of the rules and anyone can play
for some reason when i read “Tell me the McCaw’s, Smit’s, Sharpe’s, Spies’s and others would not have been generals in great armies.” i envisioned Pierre Spies on D-Day throwing Nazi’s around like rag dolls and clunking them together on the head.
go bokke
Dudes dudes dudes
Having played both Soccer and Rugby and having played soccer at provincial selection levels and rugby at school first team levels (not high i admit but at least both).
Anyone who thinks rugby doesnt take skill probably knits for a living.
Oh and another thing, my dad went to Rugby (where soccer was more or invented) Yup they didnt call it Soccer after that – Just Rugby.
That more people support it doesnt make soccer better either, who has eaten a truffle/smoked salmon/kudu – aha – limited yet the best. The majority isnt always correct.
Any heres another thing, as rugby brothers all (most of our fans) get along. Its war but we dont need to kill each other or be seperated on the stands.
Nice try soccer, but apologies for your support base.
I appreciate soccer for what it is….but its played by millions because its cheap and easy.
to be honest as a football fan…rugby players are better than footballers in terms of being more manly and get on with the game even wen u feel pain…its just some footballers hu act like idiots and dive to get a foul and giv the sport a bad reputation…but lionel messi is one of the few hu never dives or fake a foul and stays balance although he is physically small
Soccer is painfully simple, with almost no room for confusion in the laws, and so it is easy to follow and start playing. I hope the rugby gods are able to get to that point some how.
Rugby requires less skill and flair and 80% physical. It’s more strightfoward and more violent and less artistic. Some like it that way. I am a sports fan and watch even american sports. What makes a sport interesting is if you have allegience and if you hate some teams. I like to see the all blacks lose and thus their matches are the only ones that interest me. And I wonder how a small nation of 4 millions can dominate for decades and though they only won 1 rugby world cup they were dominant for decades. Rugby is thus easier to dominate. Such scenario is unlikely in football even if brazil comes close ( but they are a huge nation).Thus football has elements of democracy. Even asian countries can compete without embarassing themselves as in rugby.Football is the most popular sport in the word and thus invokes more knocks and jealousies from fans of other sports. Don’t knock it if you don’t like it.
some information on this page is not tottaly correct. i have a lot of respect for rugby and the game but it really annoys me when people put the soccer game down. soccer is a great game and has so much skill involved. Soccer is the most watched sport in the world and there is so much more to watch if prople could just see what great sport it is
ITS CALLED FOOTBALL, NOT SOCCER! I’ve watched rugby and I findit really boring. I respect the game as I used to play it as a teenager.. but its boring to watch. Nothing compares to the beauty of football. Rugby is just brute vs bbrute… football is skill.