Hockey seems more dangerous than Rugby to me

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Confession: I have never played hockey

Confession 2: I played a heck of a rugby as a youth and broke bones and still have scars.

But still Hockey seems such a more dangerous support, waving those sticks in the air.

When I was at uni, we played a 'rugby' match against the girl's hockey team, we lost a lot of blood!

I was a hockey goalie. I had to wear so much padding I couldn't move.

Still felt safer than when I was a back... Those fecking balls break bones when they hit you.

It's a lethal sport, but lots of fun

Yeah hockey is brutal. I played at uni.

We were the kind of girls who enjoyed hitting each other with sticks - not our friends mind - but college rivalry at my uni was very fierce.

Ponder, hurling is awesome. And at least the sliotar is a bit less painful than a hockey ball when it makes contact (speaks from experience)

DH played lacrosse and rugby, no real injuries from lacrosse, but tore ligaments in both knees playing rugby. The worst sports injuries he and SIL have had were both from gymnastics, though- SIL broke her elbow stumbling on the landing of a back flip, and DH broke his own nose kneeing himself in the face after a double back somersault!

Ds2 plays hockey for his university, and ds3 plays club hockey - I recently saw the end of a match, and it is so much faster and more brutal than it was when I was at school. It seems to be played mainly on artificial surfaces, and it is stunning how fast the ball moves.

So far neither of them have done more than lose skin or get the odd sprain - I shall await the first fracture!

I remember seeing a t.shirt years ago that said 'boys play football, men play rugby, animals play hockey' I think it meant ice hockey but kind of says it all really!

Ho ho ho badtobedlam

Back bloody he'll not bad!

I have a Give Blood, Play Hockey shirt, I love hockey!!! Ice hockey, or hockey as it is known as here in Canada, is pretty much our national religion!
Everyone expects a few injuries, but it toughens you up, so its all good.

I was going to suggest hurling too.

Now THAT'S a dangerous sport. Makes hockey look as dangerous as needle point by the fireside.

Can top all of these. Dd2 plays polocross.
This is lacrosse on horseback. I genuinely can't watch!

My sister still has a scar across her nose where she got smashed with a hockey stick at secondary school. Apparently she covered the PE teacher and the interior of her car in blood.

Can't comment on rugby. Although reading these posts I'd say they were as violent as each other

Ds2 (12) plays rugby and lacrosse. Lacrosse is harder and faster but they wear so much padding it's hard to get hurt but rugby every week one of the boys has a few years. Luckily no major injuries yet.

Dd1 (8) plays netball and hockey. She loves them both but always has bruised ankles. She's been playing for two years now and loves it. Can't see me getting a Sunday
Morning lie in anytime soon.

So sorry Candy, your poor brother, some of rugby's associated injuries are just terrifying. Must make it very tough for your sister watching her son play.

My husband plays ice hockey it is viscous. We watch a lot of NHL too, those guys are brutal, teeth are regularly smashed, players are stitched up and sent back out, and some of the fights!

Ginnytonic82-why don't the men wear full face cages/visors? Is it a 'hard man' thing or another reason? I noticed at the Olympics the women all had full face protection but the men only had half face.

My old dad was a commando during WW2,was one of the first to sign up and was an instructor at Spaen Bridge ( where they trained ). He was one very TOUGH dude was my dad ( plus he was very very lovely :o )

He used to talk about the time the commandos played a girls school at hockey ( one of those community building stunts ) and the total beating they took,couple of the guys had to be carried off the field. He said it was the bloodiest and toughest match they had ever had. They got soundly beaten :o

I played hockey as a teenager and LOVED it

Anyone want to guess why my nickname is Goalie? I've broken my jaw (through the helmet), fingers, toes, dislocated my right shoulder four times and have varicose veins on my calves where the ball kept hitting me instead of my leg guards. Hockey is a Bloody dangerous sport if you ask me, but worth it for the team spirit after match banter at the clubhouse

I've played both. Quite a few injuries both ways! Playing hockey I've broken fingers, my jaw, cheekbone and lost 2 teeth, despite having a mouth guard in.
Rugby I've torn knee and ankle ligaments, broken my nose, dislocated almost all of my fingers, and a rib.
So, much it a muchness, or I'm incredibly accident prone.

ponderfully was going to mention hurling too! fastest field sport in the world, apparently. Also with sticks which you can wave in the air. I've seen some nasty hockey injuries (once shattered someone's kneecap...) but it is not an impact sport, rugby is. One of my students was an international rugby player whose body just broke down in his late 20s, career over. Fast forward a decade and he is in constant, chronic pain.