Americans React: Rugby Explained | Rules of Rugby Union vs League

[@surfaceten510n]

USA turned a fast paced action filled brutal game into an advertising opportunity,

[@andrewcoogans471]

Yes! I never forget going round to my friend's house when I was 13 years old and he was watching an American Football match and said we would go out or whatever after it finished. The clock said 13 minutes to go so I thought "fair enough"..... 50 MINUTES later I was still willing the final seconds away 😂😂

[@artemisfowl66]

Hit the nail on the head

[@nellyt2807]

More like a girls game American football🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@MikeJackson1955]

If you take the 30 seconds out of getting the play ready, the ACTUAL time played is around 15 minutes. That's BS. I saw my only live NFL game many years ago. The game suddenly stopped a couple of times, what seemed no apparent reason. The reason was, a commercial timeout. WHAT!!!

[@philipbiggs7101]

Scrum hat protect the ears

[@Kalli699]

21:24 The "helmet" that some players wear is called a scrum cap, its generally worn by the "forwards" (the players who participate in the scrum) to prevent damage to their ears. Forwards who don't wear one usually develop "cauliflower ears" from repeated damage.

[@andrewcoates6641]

The scrum cap is very similar to the cap worn by the teams who play water-polo except that the waterpolo cap has more substantial straps and rigid plastic ear-covers as opposed to the fabric ear flaps worn by the rugby players. Some rugby players especially those who have a history of head injuries have been known to wear a cap comprising a number of pieces of foam rubber joined together to surround the skull with a chin strap similar to early cycling helmets, which were virtually identical. It is also common for rugby players to wear a crepe type bandage around their head in the style of a sweatband. Normally the only players to wear headbands or caps are the 3 players known as the front row who are usually two of the larger players who are called the left and right prop forwards and and a slightly less well built third player who is called the Hooker. He hangs on the shoulders of his props and engages his head in the gap between his opponents head and his prop like interlacing your fingers. The props are thus lifted off the ground by their props so they can use both of their feet to try to push the ball backwards to the rest of his teammates who are mostly pushing the front row forward against the opposing team as they are doing the same. One player from each team stand to one side of the scrum who are known as the scrum halves and one of them is given the ball to feed into the scrum from the side. As the ball is fed into the scrum the halves try to move to the back of the scrum in order to grab the ball as it gets pushed out. The scrum half who manages to get the ball can then either pass the ball backwards to another player to start to run towards the touchdown line or sometimes the scrum half in possession of the ball can turn and attempt to run with the ball to score a touchdown himself.

[@andrewcoates6641]

The scrum cap is very similar to the cap worn by the teams who play water-polo except that the waterpolo cap has more substantial straps and rigid plastic ear-covers as opposed to the fabric ear flaps worn by the rugby players. Some rugby players especially those who have a history of head injuries have been known to wear a cap comprising a number of pieces of foam rubber joined together to surround the skull with a chin strap similar to early cycling helmets, which were virtually identical. It is also common for rugby players to wear a crepe type bandage around their head in the style of a sweatband. Normally the only players to wear headbands or caps are the 3 players known as the front row who are usually two of the larger players who are called the left and right prop forwards and and a slightly less well built third player who is called the Hooker. He hangs on the shoulders of his props and engages his head in the gap between his opponents head and his prop like interlacing your fingers. The props are thus lifted off the ground by their props so they can use both of their feet to try to push the ball backwards to the rest of his teammates who are mostly pushing the front row forward against the opposing team as they are doing the same. One player from each team stand to one side of the scrum who are known as the scrum halves and one of them is given the ball to feed into the scrum from the side. As the ball is fed into the scrum the halves try to move to the back of the scrum in order to grab the ball as it gets pushed out. The scrum half who manages to get the ball can then either pass the ball backwards to another player to start to run towards the touchdown line or sometimes the scrum half in possession of the ball can turn and attempt to run with the ball to score a touchdown himself.

[@billyhills9933]

It also protects against opponents biting ears. What goes on in a scrum, stays in a scrum.

[@jontuson2078]

Why did Americans start wearing helmets and pads? Probably down to American personal injury lawyers. 😂

[@allenwilliams1306]

@@billyhills9933 Another trick was for a prop to use his inner hand to grab the opposing hooker's testicles and squeeze them hard to divert his attention away from the ball in play.

[@thearmouredpenguin7148]

“Football (soccer to Americans) is a gentleman’s game played by hooligans, and Rugby is a hooligans’ game played by gentlemen”

[@artemisfowl66]

Spot on! I married a Rugby player. Sound choice. ❤

[@TheOrlandoTrustfull]

I called it 😂😂😂

[@VillaFanDan92]

In other words football is for the poors and rugby if a toffs game.

[@thearmouredpenguin7148]

@@VillaFanDan92 If in your mind you equate being a hooligan with being poor then perhaps you need to reconsider how you judge people.

[@greypilgrim228]

@@VillaFanDan92 Have you seen how much football players get paid? They're not poor by any means.

[@kevins2961]

Rugby is a town in England. The rules played by it's school became the foundation for the modern game, hence 'Rugby Football'

[@glenchapman3899]

People dont realize that the rules of rugby and soccer were established on the same day

[@WreckItRolfe]

But where is the town of Association

[@glenchapman3899]

@WreckItRolfe fell into sea in the early 1900s

[@stevejames3725]

Being from rugby town, the look of confusion from people when they ask where i'm from. Many dont know the town exists, that rugby is only a sport 😂

[@raynercoss6082]

​@@stevejames3725snap. I'm from rugby too.

[@QuakerJones268]

When I served in the Army I was once stationed in SHAPE which was a multi-national base.. Our UK element played football and Rugby, the American element on the base made up a Rugby (Union) team and the US really got addicted to it, They played really often and enjoyed nothing more than a ruck with the UK team. Great spectator event for the US families, they loved it. So much so, during my time there, American Football wasn't played by the US forces.

[@BlueShadow777]

The ‘scrum-cap’ (your ‘helmet’) is a relatively thin, soft head-covering designed merely to lessen risk of physical head damage, mainly such as the unpleasant possibility of the ears being ripped off in the scrum. They’re not compulsory.

[@ShaneH42]

It might also be worn to protect a wound dressing (a bloody bandage will get you sent off for treatment)

[@neilanyon4792]

What aren't compulsory, scrum caps or ears?

[@stephenlee5929]

@@neilanyon4792 Neither is compulsory, but the lack of one may lead to the lack of, or damage to the other.

[@BlueShadow777]

@@neilanyon4792 Ears

[@kimberleyrigg7503]

You may be interested in the Six Nations that starts in Feb. It is Rugby Union and teams from: England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales, France & Italy compete.

[@eivindkaisen6838]

There is also the Autumn internationals starting in November involving all the top nations, including the ones from the southern hemisphere.

[@allydougall6486]

I second each of the above. International games have some HUGE and very historical rivalries too which add to the mix

[@fionakierton1231]

Yes! Both women and men play in this tournament. Highly recommended.

[@misscee6629]

​@@eivindkaisen6838I was just about to say

[@w0033944]

Plus Women's Six Nations and Women's WC.

[@zee2012]

American Football is a 60 minute game that takes 4 hours to play, Rugby is 80 minutes of non stop action

[@peterwhitehead9934]

with 10 mins of actual play

[@misscee6629]

Love that!

[@Hugh-nr5sx]

Except when we can fall asleep whilst the scrum is set and reset.. Zzzz

[@Chris_from_yealand]

Rugby Union can often be continual repetitive kicks for territory, stalled stumbling phase after phase that make no progress, mistakes with the offload or scrum penalties. Some games contain as much action as watching a pensioner walk to a bus stop.

[@zee2012]

@@Chris_from_yealand still a hundred times better than American football😁

[@JackieOckwell-oc4ho]

Just for interest - Princess Anne's daughter Zara is Married to Mike Tindall. He played Rugby Union for England between 2000 - 2011. The Royals as a whole - but especially Princess Anne, are very keen/passionate Rugby fans. Prince William is Patron of The Welsh Rugby Union in his role of Prince of Wales, Princess Catherine is patron of the English Rugby Union & I believe the Northern Ireland Rugby Union - (very amusing to see clips of them watching Wales & England play), Princess Anne is still - I believe - patron of the Scottish Rugby Union. I don't tend to watch much team sport on TV - just not my thing. But I will make an effort to watch The Six Nations or Rugby World Cup. You may be interested by the New Zealand Rugby Union national team. They are known as the 'All Blacks' and before each game (well every game I've seen them play), they perform a traditional Màori Haka. (I'll leave you to google that).

[@helenbailey8419]

The Haka is a war dance..terrifying

[@JackieOckwell-oc4ho]

@helenbailey8419 yes - it is both.

[@lesleybeales9168]

There is also footage of our Princess of Wales visiting a coaching session (England I think) and was "lifted" in the air as per the shots shown earlier in this video.

[@milgeekmedia]

I remember playing rugby at school in Scotland in the 1970s, and having to spend a Saturday afternoon - after a game - helping my friend find and pick up his missing teeth! :) ... I'm 62 now, and still limp when the weather is cold and wet because of knee injuries I got playing. :)

[@alfiekelly5914]

Duhan van der Merwe. That try. That's all! I miss Bill McLaren. A legend. And Doddie of course. The mad giraffe!

[@mmuzzwell3654]

In my school, rugby season seemed to start when the ground was frozen solid and as hard as rock. We would get cut up by the frozen grass. The general practice was trying to drop kick the ball against your opponents half frozen thighs.

[@petersone6172]

When I played school rugby on a few occasions I nearly had an eye torn out by the studs of a player I was trying to tackle. I finally stopped playing colts rugby after breaking my left collarbone which caused me to miss a county trial.

[@misscee6629]

My brother played school boy rugby in the 90s and he's creaking now. Bless you all

[@orwellboy1958]

I played as a winger, being small and fast, my games master said always remember the bigger they are the harder they fall, they usually fell on me!

[@nowhere982]

Womens rugby is just as brutal as men's rugby! There are lots of videos on the "brutal" tackles😂😂😂

[@GuardOfGaia]

Just as! Don't you mean much more brutal. I've known many games of hockey and rugby, no way would I dare play any mixed match of either.

[@PeterDay81]

Check out the Atherstone Ball Game.The Atherstone Ball Game is a "medieval football" game played annually on Shrove Tuesday in the English town of Atherstone, Warwickshire. The game honours a match played between Leicestershire and Warwickshire in 1199, when teams competed for a bag of gold, and which was won by Warwickshire. Rugby School is a public school in Rugby, Warwickshire, England. Founded in 1567

[@margaretnicol3423]

Now you see why people laugh at all the padding American Footballers wear! Such dainty little souls. 😀 After Rugby take a look at Australian Rules Football. It's kind of a mix.

[@nagoranerides3150]

In fact, the armour is dangerous in long-term play. It encourages harder tackling which generates more energy which, one way or another, makes its way up and down the spinal column and causes more sever whiplash effects leading to brain injuries which can last a lifetime. That's why there's moves to actually ban it in rugby, as some players have been experimenting with light armour under their jerseys.

[@lynnelang3184]

In the 70s and early 80s some players wore thin shoulder and chest pads but they were more a hindrance than a helpful thing.

[@russellfrancis6294]

My 13 year old nephew is the captain of his school Ruby team. So proud of him.

[@brigidsingleton1596]

Congratulations on being the proud Uncle of an active young teen, with the skills and devotion to a sport he obviously must love. My (since Oct. 2015, late) Mum enjoyed watching Rugby - I don't know which code - in her youth...in between horseriding* and hockey, and lacrosse... I never inherited her love of those more physically-active sports, _Except_ _equestrianism_ ! 🐎♥️🐎🤭 (*which is _my preferred_ - sorry - sport)

[@chrisharris5497]

I'm not surprised you are proud of him, it takes a special breed of person to play rugby let alone captain the team.

[@martin-hall-northern-soul]

That's cool, I'd be proud too.

[@misscee6629]

Aww bless him. Good lad

[@sddsddean]

You seemed a bit confused by Rugby School. Rugby is a town in Warwickshire (about 8 miles from me) and had (and still has) a school...Rugby school. It was there that William Webb Ellis first picked up and ran with the ball, thus 'inventing' the game. The game is named after Rugby school. You might also like to know that originally a 'try' did not score points. It was called that, because it gave the team a 'try' at kicking a goal to score points (what is now the conversion after a try).

[@eivindkaisen6838]

I'm afraid that Webb Ellis story is a myth that only appeard after he had died. But the World Cup Trophy is named after him nonetheless.

[@AdeboFunkyVoodoo]

Football involved carrying the ball long before Rugby's rules of football were drawn up. It was a step back in time from association football to a more traditional form.

[@janinshirley]

Glad you're reviewing rugby. I've been a fan of Rugby Union for over 50 years, a great game Both codes of rugby play games of 80 mins. two halves of 40 minutes each

[@melaniebenn6334]

My 2 daughters used to have season tickets to go watch Leeds Rhinos (league). Standing sometimes in the freezing cold to watch a game. The thing i liked was the fans from both sides used to mingle after the game & never saw any trouble, unlike football 😊

[@geoffpoole483]

Two things I like about rugby are the respect for the referees and the free association and mingling of supporters of opposing teams.

[@debashton3546]

Great to see the St Helens women’s team featured. If you want to watch a proper demonstration of Rugby League, watch any game between St Helens and our arch rivals Wigan.

[@jillosler9353]

Or the National Team - the Red Roses!

[@tivvy-xf4kz]

If you look at some older rugby union players they have "cauliflower" ears a bit like some boxers. This is caused in the scrum mainly and the forwards. The cap is just a thin padded protective garment tp protect your ears and head and possibly hair. It is not a hard helmet. You can imagine in the scrum with headlocks it wouldn't take much for ears to be "rolled" . Note you showed some womens games there and even they don't wear the skull cap much. Also apart from a padded sports bra they play pretty much the same as male players. There are also gum shields and shoulder pads but not many wear these. Basically in rugby no hard protection is used so it can't be used as a "weapon" it's all more about protection.

[@rayrecrok]

You guys crack me up in a good way, you tried the game of snooker rules, and are now trying to make sense of rugby union/league well done, American football has me scratching my head !

[@austinseven4720]

The 'helmet' is a skull cap. Primarily used to protect the ears and prevent cuts and scrapes to the face.

[@Avfc-m4w]

We still have the old fashioned ball game in Atherstone no rules except no killing anyone Usually the last 20mins end up in good old brawl great fun to watch. Igo every year as just 10mins down the road from me.

[@DeepThought9999]

Does anyone pick up the ball and run with it?

[@richardsandy6080]

@@DeepThought9999 There are 3 rules: 1) the game cannot leave Atherstone high street. 2) No one can deliberately kill another player. 3) Whoever has the ball at the end of 2 hours, wins. There are rituals about how it starts (i.e. it's dropped from the balcony of the old Barclays building on Atherstone high street at 2pm on Shrove Tuesday). That's it. Those are the rules. Anything goes - it's officially the world's most violent sport. Oh, and the prize? You will win.... the ball.

[@stephenlee5929]

Is the no killing anyone a modern rule? Or do you mean no deliberately killing?

[@nikkia9506]

Ashbourne in Derbyshire has a couple of annual Mob Football matches every year as well.

[@nikkia9506]

Ashbourne has the no killing rule as well, either deliberately (the matches would be a great cover for murderous villainy), or accidentally. The running time is different though, as is the "pitch size". There are two teams, one from either side of Henmore Brook, the goals are 3 miles apart, kick off is at 2pm and they're not keen on the match finishing before 6pm. If the match finishes before 6, they would throw another ball and start again (they used to, but I don't know if that's still a thing). Official cut off is 10pm.

[@CapricornLetsplays]

The medieval violent football is still played in one place it’s called the Atherstone ball game, you’d love to react to that. It’s so great.

[@nikkia9506]

And also at Ashbourne in Derbyshire, every Shrove Tuesday and Ash Wednesday. It's wild.

[@steveforster9764]

And Alnwick Northumberland

[@Miss_Beehaven]

I don't know if you noticed but the extra kicking conversion point after a try is scored has to be taken directly in line from where the ball was touched down as opposed to directly from the middle as per NFL

[@KirkhamWesham]

Rugby League is actually a faster paced and more attacking game than rugby union, as there are fewer players on the pitch. Rugby union is slower and more physical game due to the extra players and smaller space on the pitch.

[@davidpreston9909]

Union has also got the disadvantage of needing very tall players to contest the lineout, who tend not to be as mobile or agile in open play.

[@KirkhamWesham]

@davidpreston9909 I definitely prefer league over union. Much more enjoyable to watch.

[@matthewbird1067]

The three pretty much sit on a spectrum of continuous intensity vs plenty of downtime to strategise/employ specialists. League maxes out on continuous intensity, American Football maxes out on specialisation and downtime; Union fits in the middle, though probably has the least per-play dynamism in return for more set pieces.

[@DeepThought9999]

@@davidpreston9909That’s an advantage for the tall players (not me)! For the tall sportspeople, it’s mainly just basketball, Rugby Union or AFL (here in Oz). One of the beauties of Rugby Union is the game’s suitability for a wide variety of player shapes and sizes. Not so much in other sports. So if you are small and light but agile and speedy like I used to be or short, fat but strong or mid-sized, speedy and strong or beanstalk tall and strong, there is a suitable position on the field for you. You just need to be able to develop all the ball and tackling skills, skills I was mostly poor at as a child unfortunately, so despite my enthusiasm, my playing career was very limited. Instead I have followed closely my local Rugby Union teams for most of my 70 years.

[@alexshapley8331]

@@DeepThought9999 good points - I played prop as I was large for my age and have never been skinny, my best mate played scrum half (or occasionally hooker) as he was stocky but much shorted than me

[@christinewoolley6903]

Im a huge fan and love watching rugby union. Always edge of seat games and shouting at the tv

[@elliottsw]

In (Union) scrums there's one position at the front in the middle called the Hooker - their job was traditionally to kick the ball backwards to their team inside the scrum while the rest of them try to push forwards. These days the ball isn't really contested as much as it's too difficult so the Hooker pushes as well, the aim being to drive the other team backwards and gain a lot of ground. If the other team breaks out of the scrum or falls over, you win a free kick or a penalty depending on the situation, you can also drive them right over the try line and just touch the ball down in the scrum. It's a powerful tool that sometimes works really well and sometimes is such a dead heat they don't go anywhere and just fall over all the time.

[@HarshRao-mp7nq]

Steve is sooooo going to get into rugby.. I’m from England and a football (soccer) nut and don’t watch rugby, but I can see how an American who likes American football would love rugby cos it’s so much more raw and pure

[@alanelesstravelled8218]

In the early days of football (soccer) there were no forward passes, as in the modern game of rugby football. A pupil at Rugby school, William Webb Ellis, read the rules of the game and realised there was no rule to prevent him from picking up the ball and running with it, thereby creating rugby football. The shape of the ball was changed to make it easier to throw and catch.

[@meatballgravy2725]

One of the major points not mentioned in this video....in rugby you're only allowed to tackle the person with the ball! And there are loads of rules around what is a legal tackle. This is why it's possible to play without padding and not get (too) injured.

[@stevebrannan4966]

Also remember, rugby has no rules as such. They are laws of the game! 🏉 It's also one of the most respectful games in my opinion.

[@AdeboFunkyVoodoo]

Most of the tackling rules are fairly recent. When I played it was only neck tackles which weren't allowed. Pretty much anything else went.

[@meatballgravy2725]

The distinction between Rules and Laws is outside the scope of this vide...I mean comment ;)

[@alicedell8595]

I suggest watching any England vs. New Zealand women's rugby union game (you'll end up obsessed!) xx

[@Sarahj-ho1jx]

I recommend watching some of the 2003 Rugby World Cup when England won last. It was an amazing competition and got me really into Rugby Union

[@albrand3201]

Why not go for something more recent like one of the last few Calcutta Cup matches 😉🦄

[@StevenPriest-iw5dh]

I'm from rugby town, rugby school is a public school costs a lot of money to attend there. The whole town is about 450 years old and has a lot of history like the the jet engine and famous world war one poet Rupert Brook

[@stuartcollins82]

I used to do some work at the school, it's around £50k a year to send a kid there, but it is amazing, and the corridors do feel exactly like hogwarts. Yes, I got to throw a ball on the field there.

[@ffotograffydd]

Rugby was an iron age settlement that became a Roman town. It was then taken over by the Anglo Saxons and is mentioned in the Doomsday Book. You need to add at least 1500 years to your 450 years! Even Rugby School is slightly older than that, having been established in 1567.

[@leohickey4953]

'Scuse me butting in, but perhaps that wasn't quite as clear as it might have been? For the reactors' benefit: Rugby is a town in the middle of England, the fee--paying school there was named after the town, and the version of football was named after the school. Several private schools played versions of the sport according to their own rules at one time, and the version played at this school became the dominant one described as "Union" by the video in the 1840s, with "League" starting in the 1890s. 🏉

[@joejo867]

Another big difference between American football and Rugby is that we dont have seperate Offence and Defence players who as i understand can be changed regularly for AF. There are two distinct groups of players on a rugby team though, the Forwards (who wear shirt numbers 1 to 8) are in general the big, hard chaps/chapettes who might not move fast but are pretty hard to stop moving. They are the ones you see in a scrum and lineout, and in general play their main roll is to protect the ball if one of their teammates is tackled by the opposition. Typically its the forwards who will try to protect the ball so their team retains possession and can then attack again. The second group is called the Backs. They are generally physically smaller, have crap haircuts, cant hold their beer, rely on the forwards for protection and take credit for everything. Their main job is to attempt to move the ball forward up the pitch and eventually score a try. They tend to be the guys you see running forward with the ball, then passing on to another back just as they are tackled and so on until they make it over the line. There really is something for everyone in the game as a whole. As an ex forward i love seeing a match between teams with good forwards as i love the technical aspect of 16 blokes averaging 16 stone each trying to push each other out the way! But seeing a well disciplined back line taking apart an oppositions defence at speed really is a thing of true beauty! And the singing! You really need to hear the Jocks belting out Flower of Scotland, or england fans singing Swing Low during a Calcutta Cup game! Never mind your football chants, theres real goosepimples there!

[@gidney-u2l]

The hats that some wear are caps that protect ears in the scrum. Cauliflower ear is common for the front row of the scrum. Just google cauliflower ear pics and you will see why some player wears the cap

[@fleuriebottle]

Aw, you’re such a lovely couple and I’ve been following you for months. I’ve watched many “American Reacts” vids but I love you the best because you come across as genuine in showing real interest in my beautiful country and our culture. God bless and love to the three of you.

[@vaudevillian7]

Have been recommending this one for a while so glad you’ve got around to watching it

[@chassetterfield9559]

'The Rugby School' was a public school [ fee paying, equivalent to a Private School in the US ] near the town of Rugby, a few miles east of the city of Coventry.

[@DeepThought9999]

Still is?

[@mariahoulihan9483]

No The in front of it though. Just known as Rugby School.

[@chassetterfield9559]

@@DeepThought9999 Yes, I ms-spoke slightly. I was thinking about Rugby School in the time of William Webb-Ellis.

[@geoffreynolds8835]

William Webb Ellis is said to be the "Father" of Rugby. He attended Rugby School, which the Sport is named after the school. In Warwickshire England.

[@charliesadv8493]

And just to add, for the benefit of the channel creators, the world cup that is held every 4 years, the trophy is the Webb Ellis trophy, named after him

[@fabshop6359]

American Football is based on Rugby, which is a lot older. It's named after Rugby School which is in the town of Rugby, in the county of Warwickshire. It's not called football, it's called Rugby football, a distinct difference. The Scrum is now too "sanitised", the player putting the ball into the scrum now has to throw it to their teammates, before the rule change to ball had to be thrown into the middle of the Scrum, leading to both teams battling for the ball. The old way was far more exciting. Great reaction!

[@DeepThought9999]

Tight-head-winning scrums forever! Miss them. That was a matter of timing, speed and skill, not just strength. These days there is too much emphasis on brute strength. It seems that these days the only way to win a scrum against the feed is to succeed in pushing the opponents backwards. Hooking is a lost art.

[@fabshop6359]

@@DeepThought9999Spot on!

[@lesleyriseam1282]

Lindsey . You have time to watch lots of Rugby between now and February . That's is when the six nations happens . This is a series of games were England Wales Scotland Ireland France and Italy play against one another . The England ball is merch from these games . If you can watch the matches get very involved in picking a side and then making it a fun way of learning . It's how children Sofias age learn the basics of supporting a team . It's then fun when Sofias team goes against Daddys or Mummy's. Good for explaining maths and sportsmanship . 7 aside is even faster and good fun . It started in the area of Scotland not far from where I live . I grew up watching Rugby league but see more Union now I live in Scotland .

[@geoffpoole483]

The autumn internationals against the All Blacks, Australia and South Africa are coming up.

[@bodizmoner2838]

Rugby League is alot easier to understand I live in the north of England on the boarder to Yorkshire and League dominates here ad kids we used to play a game called British bulldog very similar but can only tackle by Touch the opponent rather than tackle but it prepared us for rugby football league 👍 I also enjoy union

[@simonmetcalfe5926]

I'm a 4th generation Rugby Union player, played Fly Half. I'm 46 now, but I still fancy trying again. I'd probably get snapped in half though. ✌️💙🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🇬🇧

[@milgeekmedia]

Hi there... I'm older and have health problems BUT we have what is called 'walking rugby' here which allows older players to still enjoy the game without it being too physically taxing.

[@chucky2316]

Those younger men would break us guys in our 40s 😂

[@alfiekelly5914]

I played rugby once. Only once! I used to work in an office where a few of the lads played at the weekend. They'd come in on Monday with assorted bits missing! My nephew is a fly half too.

[@simonmetcalfe5926]

@@alfiekelly5914 I've still got a small piece missing off the top of left ear, from a rugby match when I was a teenager (30 years ago). Funny how tRump's grew back so quickly... 🤔

[@alfiekelly5914]

@@simonmetcalfe5926 Ha Ha. I thought that I was the only one that thought the same thing! Mind you, I wish I'd been a teenager 30 years ago. I even struggle with golf now. Mostly a non contact sport! I've had a few boxing matches on courses though. I once lost an 8 iron by hurling it towards an eejit. It flew over the trainline.

[@jamessykes8176]

Hi Steve and Lindsay . My home town of Huddersfield is where the meeting was held, at the George Hotel, where the game of Rugby was split into the two codes. In my youth I played Rugby League and watched my local team, Fartown (so called because it was the far town from Huddersfield. It really is now only a suburb of Huddersfield). This Fartown team is now known as the Huddersfield Giants. My great uncle was one of the first players to be paid for playing Rugby League for Fartown. My son also played Rugby League and is now a trainer for his local junior teams where his two sons aged six and eight are learning to play.

[@thomassharmer7127]

For a first encounter, you guys did a good job of keeping up. I agree that Rugby Union sounds more like your thing. It can be both fast and furious, especially at international level.

[@Snarnler]

In rugby league there is no massive stop between tackles. It's 5 to 10 secs depending on how far into the match you are. It's tiring! Much much much faster than american football.

[@akwamarsunzal]

As an aged rugby union player, who has represented country at a young age, my career was short lived and left me with a limp. No pads or helmets, just muscle anf flesh to muscle and flesh! Cannot wait for the 6 Nations... Feels so long between 6 Nations! You guys should watch it!

[@Rocky19577]

Originaly with a line out when the ball was thrown the players from both teams could only jump for the ball. If lifted and the ref seen it a foul was called. But it kept happening that much and the play being stopped they changed the rules to allow it for continueous play

[@eivindkaisen6838]

A side note: they are allowed to lit the player up but not hold him/her up; the have to come down by ther own momentum and gravity. The attacking team decides how many players can be involved in the line-out. And the throw in - if contested, must be straight to allow the defendig team a fai contest.

[@alansheriff8638]

Now take a look at Wheelchair Rugby League. It's the same rules, pass backwards while moving forwards, kick (with closed fist), and uses an oval ball, a bit smaller than the one you showed in this video. Not to be confused with the Paralympic sport of Murder Ball, which is called Wheelchair rugby but uses a round ball and is almost nothing like the running version of rugby.

[@stephenspencer2632]

Some areas still play a game similar to the medieval sport of football. Check out the Atherstone ball game.

[@christinecoombs3536]

I’m Australian , but Rugby Union is my favourite code. ☺️

[@t.a.k.palfrey3882]

I'm from a rugby union family. My grandpa, my father, each of my five sons, and all of my grandsons played or still play. The reason rugby has no American style pads and helmets is chiefly because tackles above the line of the shoulders are illegal. In junior school rugby (under 13s), tackles are forbidden below the chest line. It is illegal to tackle anyone not in possession of the ball.

[@DeepThought9999]

You said in reference to junior Rugby “tackles are forbidden below the chest line”. Shouldn’t that be “forbidden above the chest line”? New laws coming into force in International Rugby Board matches the next (Southern Hemisphere) season I believe will require tackles to be made between the chest and knees only. Not sure about this however.

[@mattybob12310]

So, the great thing about watching a Rugby match, is that you can hear the Referee throughout the entire match, which helps a lot in understanding what is going on. There's a brilliant, now retired, Ref called Nigel Owens who has a few compilations on KZbin as he was always witty and funny. Starting in November, there is what is called the 'Autumn Internationals' happening, the Southern teams (NZ, Aus, Arg, SA etc) come and tour the Northern teams. I believe the US are playing some games in November too, this is Rugby Union. Then in Feb/March next year the Six Nations will take place, an annual tournament between Eng, Sco, Wal, Ire, Fra & Ita, it's a mini league where everyone plays everyone for points, most points wins (there are also some other things going on too like the match between Eng & Sco is called the 'Calcutta Cup'). Also, 'The Rugby School' relates to the School in the town of Rugby :) The 'Helmets' some players wear is called a Scrum Cap, it reduces the knock from accidental head contact and some players just opt to wear it. Also also, I've been watching Union for 10 years and still pick up new things every now and then that i've missed.

[@theborderer1302]

Regarding rugby league, the commentator says "they wanted to get paid". Not quite. They wanted to be paid their expenses in traveling down to the south of the country on the train to play southern clubs. In the north, players were generally working class men who worked in factories or down the mines, and were poorly paid, so train fares were a significant expense for them. Whereas in the south, players were more likely to be middle class who could more easily afford such fares when traveling north. The board of the rugby union was exclusively middle class southerners (at a time of extreme snobbishness about 'class') who had little sympathy for the working class players from the north, and in fact thought the game would be better if it was only played by 'gentlemen', so they refused to allow northern clubs to reimburse players expenses. Hence the formation of the rugby league and the evolution of the different code.

[@BrapMan]

Us Northerners love having "union" representation when we work ;) ..then Churchill sends gunboats up the Mersey River (in 1911) to stop us Scousers from striking :D

[@nickywall872]

Not forgetting no holidays, at that time, so no work no pay.

[@WreckItRolfe]

Watching this has just recalled a memory that I was pretty good at throwing lineouts at school. I actually had no idea of the difference in rules, so this was also a learning experience for me.

[@GrahamAckrill]

The 40-20 rule is a significant difference too. Where the ball is kicked from behind the kickers own 40m line and goes out within the defensive teams 20m line and the goal line. The ball has to bounce out over the side line to regain possession. Another significant difference is when the game in RL is drawn at the end of the game, they then compete to get the golden point to win. In Hull we have 2 teams and the competition rivalry the 2 and the fans is fierce. First we have Hull FC based in West Hull at the MKM Stadium. Then you also have Hull Kingston Rovers (or Hull KR) based in East Hull at the Craven Park stadium. The MKM Stadium was called the KCom Stadium but is also known as the Hull City Stadium due to sponsorship regulations. This ground is also the home ground of the football team called Hull City and generally they get bigger crowds than either of the 2 RL teams.

[@Joseph13163]

There is a similar rule now in Union the 50 /22 kick except the kicking team gets athrow in the lineout rather than a scrum feed but the principle is the same.

[@B-tr9kz]

@@Joseph13163 Yeah Rugby Union basically stole it from League lol

[@chrisholland7367]

Rugby was invented by an Englishman named William Webb Ellis 1823 . It is played at club and international level. It is a strictly controlled sport despite its full contact nature.

[@MrGoldie1976]

Stops cauliflower ears from the scrum does the scrum cap.

[@kevins2961]

When my old headmaster mentioned 'football' he meant Rugby Football, he called soccer 'Association Football' (where the term soccer comes from) much to our derision as kids.

[@simonmetcalfe5926]

The 'helmet', is a scrum cap. Some players wear it, they give some cushioning and protect your ears.

[@Draiscor]

Yeah, primarily to add a little bit of protection to the high pressures the head can experience in a scrum

[@lynnelang3184]

Women's Rugby and Rugby Leage have really taken off in the past 20 yrs and there are some great players. Do many women play American Footy?

[@Draiscor]

A rugby match is about 80 minutes, 40 minutes each half with a 15 minute half time... usually with very little downtime. Each half also does not end until one of the teams removes the ball from play, generally by kicking it to touch

[@eloisepasteur]

A typical game, if you sit down to watch live, is over in under 2 hours. Your timings are right, but there are some stoppages for subs, TMO reviews, sometimes water breaks and the like. Also injuries in at least some matches. That usually adds about 10 minutes to the time.

[@nbartlett6538]

I always thought it ironic that a try has to touch down but a touchdown does not have to touch down.

[@rittherugger160]

It's called a try because, back in the day, you were not awarded any points for touching the ball down in goal. All you got was a free kick at goal. You were allowed to TRY to score uncontested.

[@KayHerbert-z2v]

Watching Rugby is exciting, I was nursing up the valleys in the 70’s and was lucky enough to work in the same hospital as some of the rugby players from what was a brilliant Welsh team. JPR Williams . It was like a religion , Cardiff Arms Park I watch France v Wales match.

[@Rocky19577]

American football is 3 hours of advertising with only 12 minutes of actual play. Just cheer leaders dancing around.

[@disasterincarnate]

gotta earn those $$.

[@rickb.4168]

I read it was closer to 6 😂

[@christinecoombs3536]

As the players don’t wear helmets they have much better field of vision and agility so the play is really exciting.

[@lukewilson2558]

I love watching you video having a bad morning you know there's good people in the world

[@jennieward-scott9531]

Love to you Luke and hope your day improves .. from Ireland x

[@CinobiteReacts]

The Rugby school, as in the town of Rugby, where the game comes from 😉

[@claregale9011]

Hi Guys , womens rugby is good too . 😊

[@PeterWaddington-i2p]

One major difference between Rugby (both variations) and American Football is that there is no constantly changing the teams on the field between "offence" and "defence". Rugby players that start the game are normally expected to play right through the entire game, although some substitutions are allowed, usually to replace injured players. This has the effect of requiring different levels of fitness from the players. In American Football, since the game constantly stops after each play and because whole team changes occur when going from offence to defence, the players can rely more on sheer strength rather than endurance since they will always be getting "refresher" breaks during play. In Rugby the endurance aspect of fitness is more important because you don't get many breaks in play and the game continues unabated. There is also a difference in "technical" training. Since the whole team changes in American Football when a team goes from offence to defence, and sometimes just between plays several players may change, each individual player can base his entire training regimen on developing one particular skill. In rugby every player basically has to train to do almost every job on the field. There are, of course, specialisations amongst the players (ie. the kickers) but to a much lesser extent than in American Football. These different requirements mean that these games really are massively different games, and even require very different types of players!

[@nellyt2807]

My son played for our town with several mates including two brothers one of those brothers turned pro. My son had to be convinced to stop because of his mouth he is a professional classical musician that plays brass as his first. It's a tough game played by blokes that are not afraid to get knocked about unlike our American brothers whom play a girls game.

[@shellieeyre8758]

Girl's game? Nice insult to girls, forgetting that they also play rugby.

[@ffotograffydd]

A “girls game”…. girls play rugby too. 🙄

[@nellyt2807]

@@ffotograffydd to both of you yes they do they also play football kind of same as rugby kind of does anyone really watch them kind of. 🙄🥱

[@ffotograffydd]

@@nellyt2807 Oh dear…

[@lee_Meehan]

If you're interested there will be some International rugby matches coming up in a few weeks, England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales are all playing. Don't worry about not understanding the game to much just watch and enjoy. Recommended upcoming matches would Ireland v New Zealand, England v New Zealand | South Africa. Headgear: The scrum cap worn by some players is to protect/reduce the ears and head from tearing and cauliflower ears.

[@geoffpoole483]

Watching a few actual games is probably the best way for Steve and Lindsay to learn the rules. Easiest starting point is to remember forward passes and kicking the ball backwards are against the rules.

[@glenostick3979]

The helmet is to protect the ears when in the middle of the scrum

[@sharonmartin4036]

It can hardly be called a helmet. It is just a cloth cap, and the 'forwards' in the scrum usually just wear a headband that covers the top part of their ears. These days the scrum cap is mostly used by the flanks or 'wings' because they are the ones who usually take a flying dive into the tryline area and could knock their heads on the ground.

[@valerieclark5552]

Hi you two. My son's school rugby team did a two week tour playing teams in Canada and USA. They left the day after their senior prom. Flew to Toronto, played a couple of matches there. Then went by bus via Niagara to Buffalo where they played two more games. They then travelled on to Florida, near Sea World for their last two matches. They were very fortunate to have an excellent sports teacher who arranged the whole trip. The school had done the tour for a number of years. Unfortunately they don't do it now, as that teacher has retired.

[@keithrichardhallam]

Did the video miss out that rugby doesn't change all the players on the field every few minutes, whereas American football has its distinct defensive and offensive 'teams'?

[@chrisaris8756]

In a rugby union scrum both sets of “forwards” bend down and push against the opposing side the ball is thrown into the space between the two scrums and then the team try to gain possession by pushing against the other side and hooking it back. Once the ball comes free it is grabbed and we are off again.

[@chrisellis3797]

Forward pass doesn't need over thinking. If the ball is thrown any amount of forward, it's a forward pass.

[@DeepThought9999]

To clarify: in Rugby Union, it is **only** considered to be a forward pass (or knock-on) if the ball not only travels in a forward direction in flight but also if the ball had been released or knocked in a forward direction out of the passing player’s hands at the moment of that release. So the passing player’s momentum and method of ball release both need to be taken into consideration in assessing whether or not the pass is “forward”. The passing player’s forward momentum can cause the ball travel forward from the release point even if the ball was passed in a flat or slightly rearwards motion out of the passing player’s hand(s), particularly if that passing player is running forward at speed. Simple physics means that the passing player’s momentum is maintained by the ball on its release, thus adding a component to the ball’s trajectory in whichever direction the passing player was moving. This trajectory component is “forward” for the ball if the passing player was moving forward at the moment of release. If the passing player was tackled backwards as the ball was released, the ball would have a rearwards component to its trajectory. So this type of pass where the passing player releases the ball with a clear rearward or lateral motion out of the hands, even if the passing player’s momentum causes the ball to travel forward from its point of release, is not considered by (good) referees to be a forward pass. Referees do sometimes make mistakes, however.

[@Kari_B61ex]

Love Rugby! I often go to watch my local team, Exeter Chiefs.

[@chucky2316]

I'm from torbay brixham is a famous rugby town. The England players Armitage brothers are from brixham

[@Rocky19577]

Its officially called Rugby Football

[@sharonmartin4036]

It is now called either Rugby League or Rugby Union. They stopped officially calling it Rugby Football when Australian 'Footy" became better known outside of Australia, in order to differentiate between the two.

[@glenostick3979]

A rugby game last for 80 minutes, two periods of 40 minutes with no advert breaks. Rugby Leauge tend to be played in the north of England mainly in Yorkshire and Lancashire.

[@sallyannwheeler6327]

Rugby is a real men’s game💪🏻😂Steve and Linzi,you should check out everyone singing the Welsh Anthem before a game. Is something else.

[@sugarplumpolly]

When he said we sometimes say 'football' he means we sometimes call it 'rugby football', e.g. when referring to both Union & League generically. We never call it just football on it's own. It's a bit old fashioned, but some people do still say rugby football . Also whilst we don't really do college sports with a public following, we do have the Varsity Rugby match, which is Oxford vs Cambridge (they also do a famous annual boat race). 💜

[@yahlliw]

Aussies (NSW and Queensland) call rugby league football/footy.

[@LilMonkeyFella87]

American football is way too long. 3 hour game of any sport is ridiculous. Rugby league is 80 minutes with a 10 minute half time after 40 minutes. Plus it's only 13 players. NFL is 30+ players or something.

[@DomingoDeSantaClara]

Yet a game of cricket can be 5 days.

[@DeepThought9999]

@@DomingoDeSantaClaraAnd fascinating.

[@bristolacademyrugbyleague2346]

I can’t believe you two haven’t done your homework on these two codes before this video! Your understanding is better than some people who purport to support the games!

[@Rocky19577]

Rugby is a town in England

[@StevenBenjaminAuthor]

One of the best rugby games to watch, was last year's Rugby World Cup quarter final match between France and South Africa.

[@chucky2316]

I prefer rugby to football (soccer). Real mans game rugby

[@paullilley3879]

Enjoying your measured & reflective commentary,very perceptive.

[@davebyrne1980]

Rugby, when viewed by americans always seem to be facinated by the fact that there is no helmets or padding. The truth is that there are very strict rules around HOW you tackle a player in Rugby... It is the tackler's responsibility to safely tackle the player and ensure they are put to ground safely, cannot tackle above chest height, must wrap their arms around the the tackle, etc. With american football, they use their bodies as weapons to launch themselves into players to tackle, such as spear tackles and usinging their head, most likely BECAUSE of the pads and helmets.

[@ffotograffydd]

And because of all the ‘protection’ American football players are more likely to sustain long term injuries, including life changing head injuries.

[@lordhenrywotton95]

Rugby League is probably the faster paced game compared to league, because the restarts are very fast. In Rugby Union, there are some long delays at scrums. You don’t tend to get the strong but slow players in League. I recommend this video, one of the most exciting games I’ve seen in any sport! kzbin.info/www/bejne/gXrFha2EbduihLssi=4AJGnBWNG_3UqTkV

[@lordhenrywotton95]

@@brythonicman3267 yes that. I forgot how to write temporarily.

[@helenbailey8419]

😊😊In New Zealand there was a rugby team training for a match.The coach asked a team of ballet dancers to compare their training.The ruby players couldn't keep up with the ballet performers..the coaches increased the training and the rugby players improved alot.

[@JamesHyde1986]

As a fan of both codes, and speaking to a few Americans over the years about Rugby, I would suggest getting into Rugby League first before getting into Union. Whilst both are similar in many respects, and both have their nuances and complexities, Rugby League is much easier to follow by just watching and as was eluded to in the video, more similar to American Football than Union. Most Americans who know American Football can follow Rugby League quite easily after only watching a few games. Rugby Union is a more complex game that takes some getting used to and is harder to transition to from little to no knowledge. I wouldn’t say one is faster paced than the other or necessarily better than the other, it’s personal preference. Rugby League is usually played at a fast pace owing to their being 4 less players on the pitch (meaning more space to run) and the fact that a tackled player has to be released with the ball uncontested, means the play continues straight away. A limited tackle count also means the attacking team need to be more aggressive in their play, taking more chances etc to get the ball downfield. In Rugby Union the fact each tackled player results in a contested ball, means that the ball can get bogged down at times and the game slows up. But that doesn’t mean the sport as a whole is slow. Also the unlimited tackle count means teams can play somewhat safer and will retain possession until an opportunity presents itself, rather than forcing the issue. As I say though both are very watchable and enjoyable sports, and if you like one you’ll like the other. My honest recommendation for anyone starting out on a rugby adventure would be to watch highlights of the NRL (National Rugby League) in Australia or the State of Origin games, also in Australia. This will give you an intense introduction to Rugby League, allowing you to learn a lot of the basics of the sport, and then move on to Union once you’ve got a good understanding of the basics.

[@sharonmartin4036]

Rugby league is too much stop-start for my liking. Give me Rugby Union every time.

[@JamesHyde1986]

@@sharonmartin4036 as I say, it’s personal preference. I’m my opinion RL is more free flowing as the ball isn’t contested. So is back in play as soon as the tackled player is released, whereas in Union it can get stuck in the ruck.

[@GazilionPT]

13:20 I used to watch rugby during the 1990's and back then, as far as I remember, there was no lifting up one of your team mates during lineouts. If I'm not mistaken, the rules stipulate that during lineouts you're not allowed to lean on your *adversaries* so that you jump higher than them; I guess someone realised at some point that the rules did not forbid you from leaning on your *team mates* 🤔 - from that, the thing evolved to having two of your team mates actually lifting you up.

[@eloisepasteur]

You’re not supposed to lift, but you can support a teammate who has jumped, but you can’t hold them up once they’ve caught the ball. A lot of this is not strictly refereed, but teams that hold the jumper up to draw a penalty will often get told off and the penalty reversed.

[@eddhardy1054]

I started watching Rugby in the mid 80s and there was plenty of lifting in the lineouts then

[@GazilionPT]

@@eddhardy1054 Maybe I misremember, which seems odd. But I'd be lying if I said I watched a lot...

[@LilMonkeyFella87]

I'm from the top rugby town and grew up in another rugby town , and the nearby towns are also rugby towns. The North West of England is easy the best at rugby. The best rugby league team for many many years is Wigan Warriors. They are also the most decorated rugby league team in history. Their local rivals, Saint Helens are also very good too. In terms of achievements, those 2 teams blow every other team out the water

[@davidstell6745]

21:38 The 'helmet' you refer to is called a 'scrum cap'. It is mostly worn by forwards, i.e. the front eight players who form the Scrum or Pack. These players are more usually involved in the close play and lineouts as opposed to the Three Quarters who are the detatched line of players to the rear who are normally faster runners and generally more agile. The scrum cap is a slightly padded cap designed to protect the ears from injury.

[@rogeryoung4774]

Glad you find the stop start nature of American football annoying. I've long concluded there is a good game in there somewhere trying to get out. Both codes of rugby play for 80 minutes BTW. Next year teams from Australia ( NRL) & the UK (Super League) are playing season openers in Las Vegas.

[@DigwellGreenfingers]

When I was on a UK submarine in Cocoa Beach, FL we played rugby against a local team - that was in 1981!

[@wolverine9787]

If you want more comedy reactions you could react to the best bits/funniest of "Clarkson's Farm" and see what farming is like in the UK. That helmet thing they're wearing is just an ear cap to protect their ears.

[@pabmusic1]

Rugby is a town in Warwickshire where Rugby School, one of the top public (private) schools, is situated.

[@MSFSFreeware]

Welcome to American Rugby ... You called it football, but it's obviously based on rugby lol.

[@nigelpluck3342]

Football = Association Football Rugby = Rugby Football. American Football = Hand-Egg. 😉

[@Joseph13163]

Rugby deserves to be called a football code because kicking is hugely important and its more than kicking,feet in the ruck and heeling the ball in the scrum with the feet.Its the only real way to advance the ball other than running with ball in hand which is very had to do without a platform created by kicking for territory.