12-17-2017, 07:40 PM
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2017/d...vin-gentry
Definitely planning to watch it on Amazon Video.
BC
Definitely planning to watch it on Amazon Video.
BC
OT: rugby saved my life
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2017/d...vin-gentry
Definitely planning to watch it on Amazon Video.
BC
Definitely planning to watch it on Amazon Video.
BC
Redrum
Unregistered
Unregistered
12-18-2017, 02:39 PM
Post Stanford played rugby, but not well. But got to see rugby played at a high level by real, worthy rugby players.
Only reason to comment on this is I heard the exact same upbeat assessment of the coming "Rugby Dawn" back in the early '70's. All the positives mentioned in the linked article. The belief then was the lack of football's set line blocking and blocking in general made the game safer to play. Obviously an American opinion since the world rugby domain and the U.S. football domain never did a worthwhile comparison study that I saw back then. Never saw stats (probably none to be collected) on overall injury rates, just a belief (which might true, however) that survival instinct and the nature of tackling and play just led to fewer and less severe injuries in rugby.
However, in the last couple of years several of the world's top flight rugby players got pretty severely injured. Some experts think that the like draft horses, players have gotten bigger and bigger over time, stronger and stronger over time and some of the finesse of historical rugby is gradually being replaced by a more injury-fraught style of play that leverages speed and strength over technique. Or not. Like most sports, ascendance in rugby takes years and years of training and technique. The pics of those teenage kids in the articlelook absolutely frightening. Maybe they are the future of American rugby and the future is here...finally.
Only reason to comment on this is I heard the exact same upbeat assessment of the coming "Rugby Dawn" back in the early '70's. All the positives mentioned in the linked article. The belief then was the lack of football's set line blocking and blocking in general made the game safer to play. Obviously an American opinion since the world rugby domain and the U.S. football domain never did a worthwhile comparison study that I saw back then. Never saw stats (probably none to be collected) on overall injury rates, just a belief (which might true, however) that survival instinct and the nature of tackling and play just led to fewer and less severe injuries in rugby.
However, in the last couple of years several of the world's top flight rugby players got pretty severely injured. Some experts think that the like draft horses, players have gotten bigger and bigger over time, stronger and stronger over time and some of the finesse of historical rugby is gradually being replaced by a more injury-fraught style of play that leverages speed and strength over technique. Or not. Like most sports, ascendance in rugby takes years and years of training and technique. The pics of those teenage kids in the articlelook absolutely frightening. Maybe they are the future of American rugby and the future is here...finally.
Post Stanford played rugby, but not well. But got to see rugby played at a high level by real, worthy rugby players.
Only reason to comment on this is I heard the exact same upbeat assessment of the coming "Rugby Dawn" back in the early '70's. All the positives mentioned in the linked article. The belief then was the lack of football's set line blocking and blocking in general made the game safer to play. Obviously an American opinion since the world rugby domain and the U.S. football domain never did a worthwhile comparison study that I saw back then. Never saw stats (probably none to be collected) on overall injury rates, just a belief (which might true, however) that survival instinct and the nature of tackling and play just led to fewer and less severe injuries in rugby.
However, in the last couple of years several of the world's top flight rugby players got pretty severely injured. Some experts think that the like draft horses, players have gotten bigger and bigger over time, stronger and stronger over time and some of the finesse of historical rugby is gradually being replaced by a more injury-fraught style of play that leverages speed and strength over technique. Or not. Like most sports, ascendance in rugby takes years and years of training and technique. The pics of those teenage kids in the articlelook absolutely frightening. Maybe they are the future of American rugby and the future is here...finally.
Only reason to comment on this is I heard the exact same upbeat assessment of the coming "Rugby Dawn" back in the early '70's. All the positives mentioned in the linked article. The belief then was the lack of football's set line blocking and blocking in general made the game safer to play. Obviously an American opinion since the world rugby domain and the U.S. football domain never did a worthwhile comparison study that I saw back then. Never saw stats (probably none to be collected) on overall injury rates, just a belief (which might true, however) that survival instinct and the nature of tackling and play just led to fewer and less severe injuries in rugby.
However, in the last couple of years several of the world's top flight rugby players got pretty severely injured. Some experts think that the like draft horses, players have gotten bigger and bigger over time, stronger and stronger over time and some of the finesse of historical rugby is gradually being replaced by a more injury-fraught style of play that leverages speed and strength over technique. Or not. Like most sports, ascendance in rugby takes years and years of training and technique. The pics of those teenage kids in the articlelook absolutely frightening. Maybe they are the future of American rugby and the future is here...finally.
I know a bit about rugby, having played at a high level in the USA in the early 70's, and having lived in the UK for the past 25-30 years. Of course, in those good old days when I played, the standard of the the best in the USA was miles below that of New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, the United Kingdom, Ireland and France. One of my team mates played in the early 70's for the Eagles against the British Lions and they lost something like 88-6. Some of the available talent was comparable, but the difference in technique was massive.
Watching the USA play the usual suspects for several years, our technique is much better, but the talent gap has widened substantially, now that world rugby has gone professional. All our big, strong and fast guys dream about future riches in the NFL, NBA and MLB, and by the time the 99+% of those dreamers learn that they have not made the cut, they are too old to instill the technique and nous of opponents who have been playing taught from an early age how to play the game.
Finally, the game (as played at the highest level) is just as corrupt and dangerous as American football and World soccer. It is no longer the "gentleman's" game of the early 70's, and the issue of traumatic brain injuries is only a year or two behind the NFL, and of rapidly increasing concern to the parents whose children play the game.
I am very glad to see American rugby expanding and prospering at the local level, but I cannot see a pathway for it on the world stage. IMHO.
Watching the USA play the usual suspects for several years, our technique is much better, but the talent gap has widened substantially, now that world rugby has gone professional. All our big, strong and fast guys dream about future riches in the NFL, NBA and MLB, and by the time the 99+% of those dreamers learn that they have not made the cut, they are too old to instill the technique and nous of opponents who have been playing taught from an early age how to play the game.
Finally, the game (as played at the highest level) is just as corrupt and dangerous as American football and World soccer. It is no longer the "gentleman's" game of the early 70's, and the issue of traumatic brain injuries is only a year or two behind the NFL, and of rapidly increasing concern to the parents whose children play the game.
I am very glad to see American rugby expanding and prospering at the local level, but I cannot see a pathway for it on the world stage. IMHO.
All models are wrong; some models are useful......
George Box
I know a bit about rugby, having played at a high level in the USA in the early 70's, and having lived in the UK for the past 25-30 years. Of course, in those good old days when I played, the standard of the the best in the USA was miles below that of New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, the United Kingdom, Ireland and France. One of my team mates played in the early 70's for the Eagles against the British Lions and they lost something like 88-6. Some of the available talent was comparable, but the difference in technique was massive.
Watching the USA play the usual suspects for several years, our technique is much better, but the talent gap has widened substantially, now that world rugby has gone professional. All our big, strong and fast guys dream about future riches in the NFL, NBA and MLB, and by the time the 99+% of those dreamers learn that they have not made the cut, they are too old to instill the technique and nous of opponents who have been playing taught from an early age how to play the game.
Finally, the game (as played at the highest level) is just as corrupt and dangerous as American football and World soccer. It is no longer the "gentleman's" game of the early 70's, and the issue of traumatic brain injuries is only a year or two behind the NFL, and of rapidly increasing concern to the parents whose children play the game.
I am very glad to see American rugby expanding and prospering at the local level, but I cannot see a pathway for it on the world stage. IMHO.
Watching the USA play the usual suspects for several years, our technique is much better, but the talent gap has widened substantially, now that world rugby has gone professional. All our big, strong and fast guys dream about future riches in the NFL, NBA and MLB, and by the time the 99+% of those dreamers learn that they have not made the cut, they are too old to instill the technique and nous of opponents who have been playing taught from an early age how to play the game.
Finally, the game (as played at the highest level) is just as corrupt and dangerous as American football and World soccer. It is no longer the "gentleman's" game of the early 70's, and the issue of traumatic brain injuries is only a year or two behind the NFL, and of rapidly increasing concern to the parents whose children play the game.
I am very glad to see American rugby expanding and prospering at the local level, but I cannot see a pathway for it on the world stage. IMHO.
All models are wrong; some models are useful......
George Box
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