Quote Originally Posted by Gawain of Orkeny
Nothing comes even close to American football. Its like watching a war for 2 or 3 hours. No other sport has the tactics and strategy of american football . Rugy cant compete with it eother in speed or hard hitting. If american football players didnt wear pads they would kill eachother.
But Rugby is also like an hour and a half long battle. Each man working together. The vanguard -- the scrum -- is battling for the ball, and is the first defence. If the enemy breaks through, then it is up to the rear guard -- everybody else playing -- to stop them getting through to HQ -- a try.

Rugby is also very violent. I did First Aid with St Andrews Ambulance Service for the High School of Dundee (not my school, but the city's only public school) rugby club. I treated things like a mere concussion, to a broken hand, and a couple of times a broken arm. The commandant told me of once quite recently when someone had an open leg fracture -- the bone was sticking out of the skin.