Rugby, anyone?

Irn-Bru · Post by **Irn-Bru** » Sun Oct 10, 2004 4:10 pm

Don't know if there are any Rugby players on thehogs.net. I was studying in London and got to watch a bunch / play some touch. But here on campus they are starting up a club, first by getting together a bunch of pickup games. Last week they had over 20 guys show up, and it's getting bigger every week. This will be the first week that I'll be able to go, I'm looking forward to it.

Don't know if anyone here would have any advice for me. . .I'm a pretty big guy (6'3", 240lbs.), which I know has a place on the field.

The only thing I need now are those 2-seam shorts that "don't quite cover all. . ." as Sideshow Bob said.

Wish me luck, I'll let you guys know how it went off. :twisted:

welch · Post by **welch** » Mon Oct 11, 2004 8:20 pm

Hello, Fan,

I worked with a guy who played for The Old Blue Rugby team in New York. When we hired him, he showed up with his leg in a cast after his ankle got snapped in a "scrum"...I think that's what they call it. A Joe T. sort of injury.

He went on playing until he lost his shoulder in another pileup. He had a bone sticking up through the skin.

(Are you getting the hints?)

He used to say that the great thing about rugby is you go out and bash someone's brains out -- helmetless, right -- and then everyone retires to the pub and gets sloshed. The drinking afterward is the point to the game.

No helmets.

My daughter-in-law, who is deployed to Baghdad, wrote a a story about how the Australians at their camp had been trying to teach everyone to play rugby. The picture for the story showed an Australian female flight lieutenant taking the ball and about to pitch out to someone. They play on a helicopter landing pad or air strip. On concrete or something mighty close. And she is wearing shorts, since it was July in Baghdad.

(Another hint?)

My innocent bystanders' advice:

(a) Wear a helmet, wear shoulder pads, wear knee pads. Gridiron football started as rugby, and people added pads and helmets. There was a reason.

(b) Rugby is the toughest sport I've ever seen.

(c) Are you sure you want to do this? Aside from the pub-work, I mean...

NikiH · Post by **NikiH** » Tue Oct 12, 2004 12:06 am

LOL I don't think that will talk him out of it welch.

But FFA be careful! ;-)

It's probably just the mom in me, but it sounds way dangerous.

Estahpruunty · Post by **Estahpruunty** » Tue Oct 12, 2004 2:44 am

Not at all... Dont be such a pack of wimps..

The women play it over here with no problems, no helmets no jock straps and no ..ahem stuff..
So go out and try it ...all sizes ...all shapes ..all heights have a place....

EEEEEEstah

Amberion · Post by **Amberion** » Tue Oct 12, 2004 5:30 am

Just one hint FFA

If there is a Maori(native new zealander) in the opposition team you have 2 choices to survive the game

1. Get a pregame transfer to the opposition
2. lose the directions on how to get to the ground and show up 10 minutes after the game finished.

Maoris play like world war 3 has been declared and they are fighting everyone else

Seriously Rugby can be fun and most top class rugby players wear shoulder pads only they are so small you cant see them under the uniform

Irn-Bru · Post by **Irn-Bru** » Tue Oct 12, 2004 4:44 pm

Thanks for the advice. . .and the concern.

Also, I forgot to mention that I'd never played full contact rugby before. The rugby I played while in London was all touch--it gave me a good feel for the game but was definitely missing many of its aspects.

Lucky for me, Amberion, there were no representatives from the southern hemisphere this time around. In fact, I was surprised to see that the entire squad was composed of Americans, I had thought we'd have at least one non-North American who sparked the interest.

I didn't get hurt. Actually, we only had one minor injury as we were winding down, which actually was a good place to stop so we just called it a day. I did hear stories of injuries that have happened so far this year, and though nothing has been too serious (a knee to someone's head that knocked them out temporarily was the worst), it's on people's minds a little bit. Luckily, if someone goes down, we're all friends and would do whatever they needed right away--so it's a safe environment in that respect.

Secondly, I had an awesome time. We had 15 guys show up, and played a 7 on 8 match. This meant 3 person scrums and only one person taking the lineout. I was the biggest/tallest guy on my team, so I ended up in every scrum and taking every line out. That, mixed with the general running around and speed of the game, really wore me out (I'm kind of out of shape, too, unfortunately

). I think I did alright, though, and I even scored a try which was energizing.

The only pain I've had was that night and these past few days. My shoulders and neck are still sore from all those scrums/tackling. But definitely worth the soreness. Next game I'll be able to play in is in two weeks. Unfortunately, we don't hit the pub after the game, but perhaps that can be arranged soon.

All in all, I'd definitely recommend getting in on Rugby if at all possible (and if you have some interest). It's like no other sport I've ever played.

Finally--Welch, those are good stories, and it's probably why I'll stop playing Rugby when I start to feel like my prime is passing me by (which will probably happen soon, I'm sure). No reason to crush a rib once I'm not an idiot and no longer feel like I'm invincible. . .

welch · Post by **welch** » Wed Oct 13, 2004 11:02 am

Fan,

Please write us about your next game. That was a good account.

What's a "lineout"? Any other rugby jargon we should know?

Irn-Bru · Post by **Irn-Bru** » Wed Oct 13, 2004 11:44 am

Sorry, got ahead of myself there.

These are some terms as far as I know, from the looks of it some of our friends can (and hopefully) will do a much better job. . .

Scrum - the ball in rugby is constantly in play, but play will stop when certain violations of flow of the game happen. In many of these instances, a scrum happens. The two teams send out players who all put their arms around each others' team-mates shoulders, forming a sort of wall. The two walls then interlock heads/shoulders and get ready for the signal. When the "scrum" starts, both walls push at each other trying to gain ground, while a member from a team places the ball in the middle of the big pile. Both teams try to kick the ball out behind their line, and once this is accomplished play resumes.

Line out - Whenver the ball (or a ballcarier) goes out of bounds, putting the ball back in play goes as follows. For our game (with as few people as we had), the team with the 'advantage' (the team who didn't have possesion when the ball went out, or didn't knock it out) sends a player to toss the ball back in. One player from each team is sent to stand 5 meters from where the ball is being thrown in, and at least one meter apart from each other. The person throwing the ball in must throw the ball exactly between the two players, though how high / far he throws is up to him. Once he throws, the two players essentially fight for possession, whereupon play resumes normally. In matches with larger numbers of players, there is a (seemingly) complicated system they use where they can lift up their smallest players to try and catch the ball mid-air, etc. A lot of fun to watch on TV.

Try - Essentially a touchdown. In fact, in order to score a try you must be over the goal line and forcibly 'touch' the ball 'down' on to the ground (perhaps where football terminology comes from?). It's called a try because in scoring this you are given a 'try' at the extra point, which is worth more in Rugby and historically was once the point of the game.

Rook (or ruck? lousy midwestern accents. . .) - Whenever someone is tackled they must immediately release the ball. When you see a player from your team go down a 'rook' commences--it's my job as a big guy to run full speed to the spot where he was tackled and clear it out of the opposing team's players. Often people will put their arm around the shoulders of a team mate or two to form a mini-wall, increasing the effectiveness of crashing into any players in the area. The idea is to clear out the other team so that you can pick up the ball without interference and commence play once again.

Phew. That's all the terminology I'm familiar with right now. If this thread goes under soon I'll revive it in a couple of weeks with a short account of my next game. Right now I'm in love with rugby, but nothing (to me) beats a good game of tackle football.

Amberion · Post by **Amberion** » Wed Oct 13, 2004 5:44 pm

Pretty accurate description ffa

The term is ruck, pronounced like truck but with no t

I should also point out there are 2 different types of Rugby. These are called Rugby League and Rugby Union (if you have lineouts then you were playing Union)

Originally there was one game for the professionals (League) and one for amateurs (Union) but now both types may pay players

John Manfreda · Post by **John Manfreda** » Thu Oct 14, 2004 10:29 am

You will probably be in the tight five Prop or Lock, most likely prop. Rugby is a fitness game start running. You don't takcle in rugby like you do in football you will get kneed in the face. Unless you are fast if you are fast you will be a flanker ( like a LB) or a 8 man.

John Manfreda · Post by **John Manfreda** » Thu Oct 14, 2004 10:32 am

In Rugby the most important physical quality is endurance. I am not lying the game is 80 min. of constant running, the first 10 minutes are how talented a team is the next 70 are how fit they are.

Irn-Bru · Post by **Irn-Bru** » Fri Oct 15, 2004 8:36 am

John Manfreda wrote:In Rugby the most important physical quality is endurance. I am not lying the game is 80 min. of constant running, the first 10 minutes are how talented a team is the next 70 are how fit they are.

I can attest to that. I was surprised at how quickly I was dying for just a bit of a break. Unfortunately, I was the biggest guy there so I was often playing catch up. It's been good incentive to maybe run or something during the week, but I haven't yet (I guess not that great of incentive). Luckily for me, most everyone else wasn't in peak form, so I didn't look too bad; and at least I could contribute on scrums and line outs, etc.

welch · Post by **welch** » Sun Oct 17, 2004 8:44 am

How about passing? What are the rules about tossing the ball?

Can you raise it overhead and throw it with a Sammy Baugh gridiron football spiral? When I watch bits of games, the players seem to use a pitch-out style, but nothing like a quarterback's passing motion.

NikiH · Post by **NikiH** » Sun Oct 17, 2004 9:43 am

Ok I have a question too. I've never actually seen a rugby ball up close but I've always assumed the reason they throw it that way is because it's heavier then a standard NFL football. Is it?

welch · Post by **welch** » Sun Oct 17, 2004 10:48 am

I saw the Fordham U rugby club/team practice a few times last year. (That is, I walked past them...).

The ball looks, to me, about the size of a football, but blunter. Maybe it's slightly fatter, but the ends are not as pointed.

I think that the gridiron football has gotten more pointed over the last 60 or 70 years to help the passing. (That's an impression from comparing pictures...no research.)

The other noticeable difference is that the Fordham rugby ball's surface looked rougher, less finished.

Irn-Bru · Post by **Irn-Bru** » Sun Oct 17, 2004 1:23 pm

The rugby ball is a bit bigger and it's also blunter; and you're right Welch, it has a much rougher finish to it. That may be one of the reasons that there aren't as many fumbles as you might expect from the sport.

As for passing, you can pretty much use any form of throwing that you want, as long as the ball does not travel forward. Because you are running forward, throwing over hand football style isn't usually the best way to do it. From my (extremely limited) experience the side toss works as the most efficient pass, generally speaking.

welch · Post by **welch** » Sun Oct 17, 2004 5:56 pm

I remember an American Rhodes Scholar who did well at rugby. I think he used the American throw. Of course, he was Pete Dawkins, Heisman Trophy winner from Army, and not an average ex-footballer. Dawkins was a half-back, so he was mainly a runner.

And I was about 12 when he did it, so I might have mis-remembered or minunderstood. And the Post might have made more of his football passing style than was justified.

(In a similar way, I used to wonder why cricket players didn't take a good old American baseball swing, until someone explained that the bowler is too close, and has a running start.)

John Manfreda · Post by **John Manfreda** » Fri Oct 22, 2004 3:50 pm

When you run with the ball hold it like an egg, when picking up the ball, don't pick it up like you do in footballstep over it first or you will get rocked.

tcwest10 · Post by **tcwest10** » Sun Oct 24, 2004 7:10 pm

Rugby ? The Beatles song ?
Oh, yeah ! I like that song !
"Ahhhh, look at all the lonely people", right ?