Does Rugby matter in the world of sport?

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I'm sitting here watching the Rugby sevens World Series (or something) on the telly (well, I say that, but really it's just Naked rugby blokes

background) and wondering what people out there in the world (i.e. not the UK, France, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa - oh and some tiny Pacific Islands) would think of it all.

I mean, there are other teams in it. France have just murdered Moldova (I think it was them, anyway) about a million to nil, and Russia and Portugal treated us to a display of ball dropping, but in these countries Rugby must be played about as much as Korfball (and I know you're thnking: What the **** is Korfball? - hint - ask Tom Cross). How this sport can have a "World Cup" and a "World Series" I don't know. It's about up there with Cricket.

Of course, I'm being deliberately provocative. Rugby can be an exciting sport to watch, although as a Scot (but neither a farmer nor a public schoolboy) I don't have a big emotional connection to rugby (Ok, another provocative statement).

Advocates will point to the greater respect shown to the referee, compared to football (soccer) and also the diving and feigning of injury that your see in football. It's interesting to note that football wasn't always like that. Of course, it is only very recently that Rugby became a professional sport. As it's profile grows, and the financial stakes increase, will we start to see a rise in the 'evils' that have befallen the beautiful game? Will rugby be able to keep its relative innocence (if you can count fist fights and stamping as innocent) as the game progresses commercially?

We'll see.

In the meantime, roll on the Olympics and the new football season.

Rob
Twitter @sportpsychrob

Tags: cheating, commercialism, football, professionalism, rugby, sevens, soccer, world cup, world series

Posted May 31, 2008 at 8:34 AM by robrobson | Permalink | Comments(6)

Comments

Rob, you have already recognised why rugby union, or league if it comes to that, matters. Respect for the referee, no feigning injury are only a couple of things already mentioned. How good would it be to see footballers sin-binned for ten minutes for serious fouls? Potential goal scoring moves are frequently ruined by professional fouls enabling the defensive players to get back into position for a free kick. How unprofessional! How many footballers present as good role models to youngsters? They earn too much money and don't know how to behave on the pitch - many of them act like primadonnas and can hardly put two words together. And, how many games last 90 mintes, or even 120 minutes, with absolutely no score? I enjoy a good game of football but enjoy most games of rugby. There is so much more going on in terms of scoring opportunities, set play, skill with hands and feet and much more in terms of team sport. Too many football teams abound with talented individuals who have little understanding of the word "team". Sevens rugby is a breeding ground for the the 15-a-side game in many ways and there is no doubt that the firness levels of these players goes without saying. I think it is great that so many countries are now participting and the game is growing internationally and all continents are represented.

Posted by dragon | June 16, 2008 at 7:06 AM

Hmmm.
Professional foul = red card.
I wonder how rugby will go as the professional game continues to develop and the money involved grows. Remember football was not always as it is now....

Rob Robson
iStadia - Networking for Sport & Exercise Community

Posted by robrobson | June 16, 2008 at 7:23 AM

Very controversial Rob! Being a keen rugby player, coach and avid supporter I would have to side with Dragon. Rugby very much like any ball sport professional team game has its own problems seen in particular with the recent proposed change of laws. I am also a great supporter of football but get frustrated when watching international players (regardless of how much they get paid) throw themselves around as though they have been run over by a rhino! The off pitch antics can also cause problems when the sport is followed by so many young lads and girls causing their role models to be seen as celebrities rather than great football players. I am the first to admit I have had words with referees in the past but the extent to which football players "attack" the referee and linesmen is disgraceful. Quick question here, how about changing the yellow card in football to a 10min sin bin similar to other sports? Would that make the players think twice about their behaviour?

Posted by saswebber | June 30, 2008 at 7:43 AM

I find some of the antics in football annoying too. I note that the sportsmanship isue came up in cricket last week, too - more and more at stake in that sport too....

Incidentally, I don't know if law changes such as the sin bin are required in football, just more solid implementation and respect for the laws as they stand.

--
Rob Robson
Co-founder, iStadia.com

Posted by robrobson | June 30, 2008 at 8:19 AM

Rugby certainly counts in France, especially in the south where even the smallest town or village runs several senior, youth and junior teams, right down to kids barely out of nappies. The capital Paris boasts the well known Stade Francais, looking pretty in pink, in contrast to the disastrous Paris St-Germain (PSG) football team. Regarding the Olympics, the feeling seems to be it's all too remote and far away, with few well known French participants (apart from the out-of-pool sagas Laure Manadout). There's also the serious business of French holidays and August simply isn't the month to be watching television. As for Beijing, hotels have taken hardly any bookings, and who wants to spend several weeks in that crowded, polluted, overpriced, unattractive, repressive capital. I feel sorry for the athletes caught in an unsatisfactory situation not of their making. Peter-Danton de Rouffignac

Peter-Danton de ROUFFIGNAC Sports Counselor
peter-danton@orange.fr http://monsite.orange.fr/sport-counseling

Posted by peterdanton | July 9, 2008 at 10:44 PM

I believe the Rugby World Cup is the third largest sporting event after the Olympics and Footy World Cup, so would say it matter to some. After Soccer what is the next biggest sport in the world? Obviously depends how you rate it but Rugby would be up there on a fair few surveys. Ben

Posted by wilsonbd79 | August 7, 2008 at 8:58 AM