Rugby has become one of the most popular sports in the world. It is played in lots countries, and its popularity is continually growing. While it may seem barbaric to some, there are very few injuries in comparison to American Football. If you’ve been looking at this sport with intrigue, here are a few reasons why you should give it a go.
It’s not that violent
Okay so there are a lot of giant people running into each other a lot, but there are normally only minor injuries sustained. Things like broken fingers and sprained ankles are commonplace, but these will only keep you out of the game for a short while. Sure there is a small risk of concussion, but these are very rare incidents and are nothing like what happens in American Football. American Footballers are actively encouraged to crash into each other as hard as possible to stop the opposition. The padding American Footballers wear protects the aggressor from sustaining damage, but increases the damage inflicted on the opponent. Rugby players wear no protection, which means they can’t hit each other as hard without risking injuring themselves.
You’ll make loads of new friends
You will have to look out for your teammates on the field, and you’ll often spend much of your time off the field with them too. You and your teammates will bond while looking out for each other during games and once you partake in the rugby tradition of the post-game drinks, you’ll be the best of friends. You will even drink with your opponents as though they are your friends, even though you were trying to knock lumps out of each other just a few hours ago. Rugby is a communal game, and it helps to build positive relationships in your life.
Anyone can play
Well, kind of. As long as your body is up to it, then there are positions in a team available for all shapes and sizes. While there is a need for the quick, athletic type players, rugby teams also need people capable of kicking the egg-shaped ball well, and it also requires large, heavy people. There are scrums in rugby, which takes about eight of the heaviest members of each team and they line up in a formation and try to push the other team back. There are positions available to all people, so if you are afraid you’re not the most athletic, you might miss out on a great game because that isn’t all rugby teams require.
Respecting rules and traditions
Rugby is meant to be a sport played with the utmost respect for the rules and officials. All who play the game take this very seriously and any kind of disrespect is not tolerated in the slightest. Players must respect the referee’s decision, even if they think it is unjust, and whatever the captain of the team says goes. Learning to live by the rules will help you to become a more disciplined person.
If you’ve never played rugby before then, you should seek out your local club. You’ll learn to be a more disciplined person and will benefit from having a close bond with teammates. Pushing yourself physically and mentally is a big part of the game, and this will help you develop as a person at the same time. Giving rugby a shot might just turn out to be the best thing you ever do.
