Should rugby be more noticed in the united states?

[sanarota]

Should rugby be more noticed in the united states? I play rugby in college and we barely get any acknowledgment from the school. There is virtually no fans there. How does other American sports such as football and baseball shield rugby from being a huge American sport I know about USA rugby but, I have never even seen it on TV for god sake. Rugby is an awesome smash mouth sport that builds team unity and leadership skills just as good as any other sport. Why is the rest of the world so into rugby and why is America so far behind? I absolutely love this sport.

[JRutledge]

No. And no one here cares. This is an officiating site and if people cared about Rugby, they would talk about it in the appropriate forum.

Peace

[Welpe]

OK then...

[umpirebob71]

Noticed as what?

[HLin NC]

Apparently not. Maybe you should switch to lacrosse. Its growing in popularity here.

[kdf5]

Originally Posted by sanarota

Should rugby be more noticed in the united states? I play rugby in college and we barely get any acknowledgment from the school. There is virtually no fans there. How does other American sports such as football and baseball shield rugby from being a huge American sport I know about USA rugby but, I have never even seen it on TV for god sake. Rugby is an awesome smash mouth sport that builds team unity and leadership skills just as good as any other sport. Why is the rest of the world so into rugby and why is America so far behind? I absolutely love this sport.

I played rugby in college too. There are several problems. First, it's less understood than soccer and it's taken a long time for soccer to catch on. Rugby, like soccer are continuous sports so advertisers don't get to use timeouts to bombard us with sexy TV ads like they do in the big three sports. Second, it has a miniscule, insignificant fan base as compared to football, baseball, basketball. Third, it's market is college kids who are already being targeted in football, baseball, basketball. Fourth, most colleges are struggling to meet their athletic budgets. Football is usually the sport that covers most of the rest of the department's costs so university's can't afford to add another revenue sucking sport. Rugby can be played by women but usually by men which means you have a Title IX problem if it's added as a man's sport. Lastly, this is a football officiating forum so I'm not sure why you're here.

[JRutledge]

He can always go to the Rugby Forum, where there has not been a post since September of 08. Maybe can see why there is no traffic since that time.

http://forum.officiating.com/forumdisplay.php?f=18

Peace

[JugglingReferee]

Originally Posted by sanarota

Should rugby be more noticed in the united states? I play rugby in college and we barely get any acknowledgment from the school. There is virtually no fans there. How does other American sports such as football and baseball shield rugby from being a huge American sport I know about USA rugby but, I have never even seen it on TV for god sake. Rugby is an awesome smash mouth sport that builds team unity and leadership skills just as good as any other sport. Why is the rest of the world so into rugby and why is America so far behind? I absolutely love this sport.

Rugby is a great game. But it would not fly in the US because they had nothing to do with creating it. The US is *very* pro-US and it is rare for them to embrace anything like their own that is created and developed elsewhere.

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by JugglingReferee

Rugby is a great game. But it would not fly in the US because they had nothing to do with creating it. The US is *very* pro-US and it is rare for them to embrace anything like their own that is created and developed elsewhere.

Actually that has little to do with it. Basketball is a much easier sport to pick up and play for all cultures in this country. There are basket goals all over the place and in gyms and outside. Much of South America does not play rugby on a large scale, Soccer or "Football" is the rage in those countries. And the last time I checked Golf was not an American made sport, and people go nuts over that sport from high school level to the pro level. Volleyball is an American sport and is not extremely popular, but played at the high school level at least. Wrestling is not a "popular sport" but played in high schools all over the United States and not created in this country either. Even Tennis is not an American made sport and some of the most famous athletes and sporting events from this country are Tennis players from all over the world (not just Americans).

I get that part of your position might be based on this Canadians do not like Americans slant, but with all due respect you are not very knowledgeable about America if that is what you really think.

You either need to do a little more research of this country or stop making comments that are not only incorrect, but way off base as to what is popular or not popular and why it is such. Even Baseball which is about as American as anything, is falling behind Basketball and Football in many ways of popularity. Baseball is not played at multiple levels like it used to be and many in different socioeconomic status are hardly playing the game at all. Why do you think that might be? It has nothing to do with where the game was created trust me on that one.

Peace

[TXMike]

Originally Posted by JugglingReferee

Rugby is a great game. But it would not fly in the US because they had nothing to do with creating it. The US is *very* pro-US and it is rare for them to embrace anything like their own that is created and developed elsewhere.

That has to be one of the most ignorant statements you ever made (right up there with your slamming of the US refs who worked when you guys refused to). Soccer and golf are extremely popular participant sports here.

[JugglingReferee]

Originally Posted by TXMike

That has to be one of the most ignorant statements you ever made (right up there with your slamming of the US refs who worked when you guys refused to). Soccer and golf are extremely popular participant sports here.

If you were correct, I would agree with you.

As for the rest, who really cares?

[JugglingReferee]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

Actually that has little to do with it. Basketball is a much easier sport to pick up and play for all cultures in this country. There are basket goals all over the place and in gyms and outside. Much of South America does not play rugby on a large scale, Soccer or "Football" is the rage in those countries. And the last time I checked Golf was not an American made sport, and people go nuts over that sport from high school level to the pro level. Volleyball is an American sport and is not extremely popular, but played at the high school level at least. Wrestling is not a "popular sport" but played in high schools all over the United States and not created in this country either. Even Tennis is not an American made sport and some of the most famous athletes and sporting events from this country are Tennis players from all over the world (not just Americans).

I get that part of your position might be based on this Canadians do not like Americans slant, but with all due respect you are not very knowledgeable about America if that is what you really think.

You either need to do a little more research of this country or stop making comments that are not only incorrect, but way off base as to what is popular or not popular and why it is such. Even Baseball which is about as American as anything, is falling behind Basketball and Football in many ways of popularity. Baseball is not played at multiple levels like it used to be and many in different socioeconomic status are hardly playing the game at all. Why do you think that might be? It has nothing to do with where the game was created trust me on that one.

Peace

What the double hockey sticks does most of that matter? Most of what you said has nothing to do with what I said.

[kdf5]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

Volleyball is an American sport and is not extremely popular....

Apparently you didn't watch women's beach volleyball in the last Olympics.

[daggo66]

Originally Posted by kdf5

Apparently you didn't watch women's beach volleyball in the last Olympics.

Now there's a sport I could get behind!

[Forksref]

I played Rugby in college. It's a great sport. I liken it to backyard football games as a kid. I like the fact that it is independent and played as a club sport. Therefore, there are no NCAA restrictions and all their other garbage to deal with. The people at the NCAA are control freaks.

At my school, Bowling Green, they have developed the sport to the point where there are 4 teams. They play a fall and spring schedule and have been very successful with a pretty good fan base. They have played all over the country and overseas. But, it will never rival NCAA sports for popularity and that is ok with me.

I'd hate to see the sport ruined by becoming sanctioned by the NCAA.

There is something refreshing about being independent.