To think that rugby players really show footballers up for the wimps that they are?

[HangingBasketCase]

Just saw on the news that a Welsh rugby player was knocked out cold during their game with England last night, despite most likely being concussed he got up and carried on. Earlier in the game another player broke his nose, was strapped up and just carried on. Meanwhile footballers roll around on the pitch in mock agony when they break a sodding finger nail!

I'm a life long football fan, but I'm becoming more and more disillusioned with the game if I'm honest. The vile insults hurled at each other by fans, the over dramatic displays of "agony" because the played want a penalty thrown in their way. It's pathetic.

Why isn't rugby more popular than football?

Not really fight. The context of that comment was as follows.

Poster claims football is boring because it's all delays and rolling around.

I find article that shows football is 65/90 mins of play and rugby is 35/80 and point out the time it takes a kicker to kick a penalty vs a free kick in football, the latter being much harder to execute successfully.

Poster says 'I bet David beckham isn't skilful enough to kick a rugby ball'

Another poster finds David beckham kicking first time penalties whilst Jonny takes time to manage a vaguely decent free kick.

I laugh and comment that most of the skill position players had played football to some level but not made the grade. Didn't say they failed, they just didn't take football up to a higher level, whilst they did make the grade at rugby.

I didn't imply that was because of their skill level or ability.

We were then drawn into examples, all of whom had to make a decision between the two, and in those specific cases in either my belief or my knowledge they made that decision on percentages and not passion for one game over the other.

Fight, do you know the difference between didn't and couldn't?

Getting overtaken by responses here. Love the fact that someone actually copied and pasted a quote and then misquoted it below. So mumsnet!

Well said SanDiego!

Usually, rugby isnt actually the predominant sport in Wales. Afew games a year draw the crowds. Six nations etc. Not many Welsh people go and support their rugby team every week.

But on the other hand it really isn't the posh boys' sport that it seems to be regarded as in a lot of England and Scotland. Our Welsh comp barely even did football - the boys' team game in PE (back in the Dark Ages) was rugby in the winter. If they wanted to football, they had to do an after school club with the maths teacher who just happened to like football.

In Cornwall we have a huge amount of support for our local club, but that could be that they're almost Premiership. Almost but not quite :o

Nope YABU. If you ask me, all career sports people (and indeed, many serious amateur sporty people) are hard as nails. They all seem to carry on in training etc with v painful and often serious injuries. The knee operations some footballers have make me wince to contemplate.

It's a love for the game that you play that a a big factor though? Those people quit as they preferred rugby no real evidence there to suggest otherwise and even other peoples hearsay isn't evidence. So it really doesn't matter about breaking confidences, unless that was directly from the player it's not evidence.

You're right ds2 is a flanker/forward depending on the game and opposition. He's 13 and 5'11 (literally just turned 13 last week)

Ds1 is a football player, 17 and plays for a Saturday team and used to play for school (no county football here) he plays for the college team. He's an excellent rugby player but it doesn't interest him. He's a football man through and through enjoys it for what it is a kick about and a bit of exercise and fun with his mates on a Saturday lunchtime. (17)

Any professional sportsperson has to be tough. It takes a lot of dedication and breaking through barriers to be professional at any sport whether that's rugby, or swimming.

I'm sure that if the second knock North had taken had been spotted he would have been taken off. However it wasn't and I can understand why he carried on. The only time I have been concussed I fell off a horse, knocked myself out for a nano second, leapt up and said "I'm fine" and got back on. It was only after about 10 minutes when someone asked me what day it was and I had no idea did anyone realise what had happened.

I have no proper recollection of the accident, apparently I talked gibberish for the rest of the day and lost the grip in one of my hands for a couple of hours but in I thought I was ok....

Adrenalin and the type of injury that is concussion does not allow the person involved to make any sort of rational judgement - North probably thought he was fine which is why he carried on.

I think North should have been taken off after the FIRST hit even though the check ups were ok.

Agree with PP who says you need to love the sport if you want to take it to a high level. Support from parents and schools also makes a huge difference as well - without them young players would not get through to county/district/regional levels.

Forgive me for being obtuse... I watched the match.

North was taken off. The medics followed the concussion protocols off pitch, he was gone for about 5 minutes, which could have been longer, but they do have a set procedure for checking, they don't take the players word for it.

So he was allowed back on... that call is not disputed.

The second event went unnoticed by all officials but was seen by millions watching it on their screens makes it seem even more unfathomable to those of us the other side of the screen. Prav Mathema has admitted that mistakes were made - he did not see North knocked out, as he was on his feet by the time Mathema arrived, and that protocols need further tightening.

I am sure North would agree and is, if anyone wants to know, absolutely fine and is already back in 'return to play' training.

supporters.wru.co.uk/matchdaytv/?play=media&id=20198

There have been some pretty tough characters in cricket too. is unbelievable.

Sounds as though World Rugby are agreeing he should have gone off. There's some interesting discussion going on about how such incidents will be handled in the future too www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/31351612

aaderynlas
usually, rugby isnt actually the predominant sport in Wales. Afew games a year draw the crowds. Six nations etc. Not many Welsh people go and support their rugby team every week.derynlas: usually, rugby isnt actually the predominant sport in Wales. Afew games a year draw the crowds. Six nations etc. Not many Welsh people go and support their rugby team every week.

What part of Wales are you? That isn't my experience.

I live in Wales and I'd agree that it's a bit of a myth that rugby is more popular here. Yes, we get behind the national side during the Six Nations, but quite honestly it's because we're not really any good at anything else sports wise and despite having Gareth Bale we're never going to qualify for a major football tournament. Actually I know quite a few Welsh football fans who really resent rugby because the Welsh media is so overwhelmingly biased in favour of it.

Where I live football more popular, we're far closer to Liverpool and Manchester than the valleys. Why travel four hour down to Cardiff when you can be at Old Trafford or Anfield in less than an hour? That's the reality here. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the rugby, it makes me feel so proud to be Welsh when I head the crowd raise the roof at the Millenium. But I'd say football is much popular here.

Its a long while since I was at school, but it was always rugby, not soccer, for the boys.

if the refs were harder on the players (football) then they wouldn't play act, it has become a part of the game that needs to be stamped out

Ah well Judgey, you're in North Wales. Different place altogether :o
Did you see the BAFTAs, when they showed that clip from the movie Pride? Imelda Staunton shouts something like "Lesbians and gays coming here from London is one thing, but I'm NOT having that lot coming down from North Wales!"

Im in South Wales Tywysoges. The crowds come out for the big games and thats about it. Judgey, if I lived in North Wales id go and watch Wrexham .

www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/11404557/Jonny-Wilkinson-I-could-have-thrown-my-life-away-with-concussions.html

Some good views on the dangers of concussion from that God of rugby Jonny Wilkinson .

That video of the hit Jonny took is awful :(