Football v Rugby

[My login is Henrietta]

Seriously, you will find idiots who play football and idiots who play rugger. There happens to be far more footballlers in the world than rugger players.

In fairness, there is a different set of rules as far as media are concerned. Footballers would not have gotten away with the ruggers antics in NZ. A lad being racially abused by a group of England footballers would not have been brushed under the carpet as it was a few years back. A few years ago, I worked in a bar in Hong Kong which had English Rugger players in it and later a team from Chelsea & later again boxers. I can tell you the boxers & footballers were gents compared to the rugger boys

I play neither but based on years of serving refreshments on Saturday morning when I was a sweet young thing at MHGS, and 5 years of my adulthood being courted by a Rugby referee, I dispute your use of "footballer" to describe a soccer player. It was always firmly impressed on me that football meant Rugby!

As for the difference between the two, didn't someone define one as "A game for hooligans played by gentlemen" and the other as "A game for gentlemen played by hooligans" (Variously attributed to Rudyard Kipling and Winston Churchill but I have my doubts)?

[Howard]

And the relevance of this to MHS is...?

Nothing...which is why I've split out the football v rugby posts into this thread.

[Dave]

And the relevance of this to MHS is...?

[Steptoe and Son]

And there, courtesy of Duke Fame, is your proof regarding footballing types.

I'd draw attention to the welsh rugby crowd yesterday and their lack of respect to the minutes silence and compare it to the dignified respect at Tottenham.

Taking a broader look at the issue rather than picking one example, I'd draw attention to the 30 odd years of football hooliganism, still alive and 'kicking', compared to the good behaviour of rugby players and fans.

[Duke Fame]

And there, courtesy of Duke Fame, is your proof regarding footballing types.

I'd draw attention to the welsh rugby crowd yesterday and their lack of respect to the minutes silence and compare it to the dignified respect at Tottenham.

[Steptoe and Son]

And there, courtesy of Duke Fame, is your proof regarding footballing types.

[Duke Fame]

is taht why many professional footballers are such girlie primas donnas? and why most professional rugby players are relatively normal blokes? well I think I know which I'd prefer my son to be  

Does your lad like cakes or pies?

Seriously, you will find idiots who play football and idiots who play rugger. There happens to be far more footballlers in the world than rugger players.

In fairness, there is a different set of rules as far as media are concerned. Footballers would not have gotten away with the ruggers antics in NZ. A lad being racially abused by a group of England footballers would not have been brushed under the carpet as it was a few years back. A few years ago, I worked in a bar in Hong Kong which had English Rugger players in it and later a team from Chelsea & later again boxers. I can tell you the boxers & footballers were gents compared to the rugger boys

[Howard]

Selective quote here...

I don't think it's anymore likely to teach kids respect for others than football

You are quite wrong in this respect, certainly in non-school sports clubs. Virtually every junior rugby club we visit has a code of conduct for players and their accompanying adults. This is rigorously enforced and any offenders, usually for using foul language or abusing the officials, are warned and then asked to leave should they ignore the warning. Offences are reported to the chairs of clubs and to the Cheshire RFU should they be particularly heinous. The offenders are asked to moderate their behaviour and can be, and have been, asked to leave the club. Poor behaviour amongst clubs and their spectators is routinely shared amongst clubs. Clubs with poor records are simply not engaged for fixtures.

Contrast this to junior football which has the spectators using some of the most appalling language I have ever heard towards opposing spectators, officials and even players on opposing teams. This is not isolated to a few clubs but is the norm.

We all know that kids learn by example. Taking into account the fact that rugby also enforces strict discipline on the field and absolute acceptance of referees' decisions then this engenders respect from a very young age.

[chicken lady]

I don't think it's anymore likely to teach kids respect for others than football but because football is so much more competetive, it's likely that a good few of the lads will already be head and shoulders ahead of the others in terms of ability. We have to remember that rugby was indeed invented by William Webb Ellis because he wasn't as good as his peers so whilst stood with his hands down his shorts, when the ball was passed towards him, he panicked and picked up the ball and hey presto, Rugby was invented and fat rotund fellas within the comonwealth and France had something to do whilst the real sportsmen got on and played football.

is taht why many professional footballers are such girlie primas donnas? and why most professional rugby players are relatively normal blokes? well I think I know which I'd prefer my son to be 

[Howard]

In the issue of teaching rugby, rugger is favoured because football tends to expose talent and athleticism. Rugby tends to be for fat kids who weren't good enough to play football and tends to be more inclusive.

Although I'd disagree with the "tends to be for fat kids" remark, your definition of it as inclusive is spot on. There's a position for anyone in rugby whether you're big (front row) tall (second row), small & nippy (scrum half) or just average (everyone else).

I've coached children from six to thirteen at Marple Rugby Club for the past six years and everyone is taught respect and discipline which is vital for a team game. Everyone gets a game and the prime reason for playing is to have fun. In my experience, if you're not a reasonably natural athlete, even in local clubs, in football you have little chance of a regular game.