Rugby a game for big, ugly agressive angry men.

[Line6 HXFX]

If Rugby is a game that can only be justified and accepted by the public because at the end of the day, they are all big ugly aggressive physically dominant men, happilly and consensual smashing into each other 60 times a week, knowing full well that this will probably result in them giving each other quite serious medical issues, ranging from bad backs (even something simple like a bad back,as you all know I have been suffering from a awful bad back for the last six months and it changes you man, you feel tetchy, irritable, just not a nice guy, it really inhibits your life and your future) dodgy knees and shoulders to significant brain injuries and early onset. That we as a rugby viewing public know there are consequences from us watching and supporting this sport. Paying for it, enjoying it, and whilst we know of these consequences, that are often horrific for the people providing us with this entertainment, just who are we?
Are we good people knowing this?
We are all trying to be good people right?
A pit bull loves to fight, it's bread for it, if it could sign a contract waiving all its rights to healthcare and stating it knows the risks and agrees with the consequences, it would take the pen and attack the other pit bull with it before you could get it off him.
Just because people love doing something, it doesn't mean we can support it in good conscience.
Is eighty minutes of entertainment a week, worth it for even one Alex Popham, much less 200 Alex Pophams?

[Gumboot]

All contact/motor/equestrian sports have the potential for horrific injury to the participants. Are you suggesting we ban the lot? Where would all those testosterone fueled angry young blokes then channel their energies?

[Guy Smiley]

[Jb1981]

Anyone able to photoshop this guy holding a ball and walking out of the tunnel?

[GogLais]

All contact/motor/equestrian sports have the potential for horrific injury to the participants. Are you suggesting we ban the lot? Where would all those testosterone fueled angry young blokes then channel their energies?

Tbh I share Line's feelings to some extent. I'm not arguing for banning anything but we all know about concussion now. I'm not entirely comfortable watching rugby knowing that somebody is risking dementia for my entertainment. I plead guilty to hypocrisy because I'm not going to stop watching it.

[redderneck]

I'm fourth gen rugby player. My young lad gave it a lash from 8-12; but not for him and far from being gutted, I was relieved. Swimming and rowing his other sports interests, and has stuck with rowing. Super fit. Has the craic with his clubmates, but as he's become a sculler rather than part of a crew, he simply doesn't have the same sense of camraderie that rugby gave me (and presumably any team sport offers). That aspect is a shame. That community/social sense; the bond forged by a team sport is hard to replace I think, and it concerns me that as a society, people are tending toward solo pursuits, rather than team ones, or ideally, a blend of the two.

Are we headed to better individual health at the expense of increased selfishness/further weakened 'social health'?

[Grandpa]

Football is on it's way to banning "heading the ball", completely... so will rugby likely follow and become a much different sport to the one we see now? A sport where head injury is greatly reduced... if not completely eliminated.

Not sure how they'll do it.. without turning it into touch rugby... but it seems inevitable?

[Wilson's Toffee]

All contact/motor/equestrian sports have the potential for horrific injury to the participants. Are you suggesting we ban the lot? Where would all those testosterone fueled angry young blokes then channel their energies?

Tbh I share Line's feelings to some extent. I'm not arguing for banning anything but we all know about concussion now. I'm not entirely comfortable watching rugby knowing that somebody is risking dementia for my entertainment. I plead guilty to hypocrisy because I'm not going to stop watching it.

They are not pursuing your entertainment - They are after the money you spend on it. Having fun, all the way.

[GogLais]

All contact/motor/equestrian sports have the potential for horrific injury to the participants. Are you suggesting we ban the lot? Where would all those testosterone fueled angry young blokes then channel their energies?

Tbh I share Line's feelings to some extent. I'm not arguing for banning anything but we all know about concussion now. I'm not entirely comfortable watching rugby knowing that somebody is risking dementia for my entertainment. I plead guilty to hypocrisy because I'm not going to stop watching it.

They are not pursuing your entertainment - They are after the money you spend on it. Having fun, all the way.

It’s a trade isn’t it? I get entertained, they get money. But I’m not sure how that affects the point I was making.

[Jimmy Smallsteps]

Rugby's been great for our family. The old man played for our local club, as did my two brothers and me.

The old boy has since been made a life member and the oldest brother does the grounds. I earned a blazer game with the senior B side.

I'm a paid member of the alumni club which counts among its members a former ball running Crusader.

Not a single regret.

[sockwithaticket]

I'm fourth gen rugby player. My young lad gave it a lash from 8-12; but not for him and far from being gutted, I was relieved. Swimming and rowing his other sports interests, and has stuck with rowing. Super fit. Has the craic with his clubmates, but as he's become a sculler rather than part of a crew, he simply doesn't have the same sense of camraderie that rugby gave me (and presumably any team sport offers). That aspect is a shame. That community/social sense; the bond forged by a team sport is hard to replace I think, and it concerns me that as a society, people are tending toward solo pursuits, rather than team ones, or ideally, a blend of the two.

Are we headed to better individual health at the expense of increased selfishness/further weakened 'social health'?

Not sure about that. A huge part of the decline in team activities is WAGs not accepting their partner just fucking off for hours/a day and expecting that their men pull theur weight more at home be it with chores or the kids (for those that have them). It's a different type of social health, but the bonds between romantic partners and expectations of acceptable behaviour by men (not leaving things to her indoors) are probably strenghtening.

[Jimmy Smallsteps]

Yeah, I'm not that well qualified as I don't have kids. but I reckon sock is on to it.

[JM2K6]

You can always tell when Wales have won or lost by the threads Refry starts afterwards.

[Slick]

Rugby's been great for our family. The old man played for our local club, as did my two brothers and me.

The old boy has since been made a life member and the oldest brother does the grounds. I earned a blazer game with the senior B side.

I'm a paid member of the alumni club which counts among its members a former ball running Crusader.

Not a single regret.

Well rugby has been amazing for my family and continues to be. I couldn’t recommend a kid getting into rugby highly enough, it’s fantastic in so many ways.

However, my dad also died young from early onset Alzheimer’s which my mother is totally convinced came from playing rugby, so it’s not all beer and skittles

[Guy Smiley]

You can always tell when Wales have won or lost by the threads Refry starts afterwards.

He's a bourne and bread whether vain.

[Punter15]

If Rugby is a game that can only be justified and accepted by the public because at the end of the day, they are all big ugly aggressive physically dominant men, happilly and consensual smashing into each other 60 times a week, knowing full well that this will probably result in them giving each other quite serious medical issues, ranging from bad backs (even something simple like a bad back,as you all know I have been suffering from a awful bad back for the last six months and it changes you man, you feel tetchy, irritable, just not a nice guy, it really inhibits your life and your future) dodgy knees and shoulders to significant brain injuries and early onset. That we as a rugby viewing public know there are consequences from us watching and supporting this sport. Paying for it, enjoying it, and whilst we know of these consequences, that are often horrific for the people providing us with this entertainment, just who are we?
Are we good people knowing this?
We are all trying to be good people right?
A pit bull loves to fight, it's bread for it, if it could sign a contract waiving all its rights to healthcare and stating it knows the risks and agrees with the consequences, it would take the pen and attack the other pit bull with it before you could get it off him.
Just because people love doing something, it doesn't mean we can support it in good conscience.
Is eighty minutes of entertainment a week, worth it for even one Alex Popham, much less 200 Alex Pophams?

What’s your point? Are you advocating banning something, or perhaps everything?

[GogLais]

If Rugby is a game that can only be justified and accepted by the public because at the end of the day, they are all big ugly aggressive physically dominant men, happilly and consensual smashing into each other 60 times a week, knowing full well that this will probably result in them giving each other quite serious medical issues, ranging from bad backs (even something simple like a bad back,as you all know I have been suffering from a awful bad back for the last six months and it changes you man, you feel tetchy, irritable, just not a nice guy, it really inhibits your life and your future) dodgy knees and shoulders to significant brain injuries and early onset. That we as a rugby viewing public know there are consequences from us watching and supporting this sport. Paying for it, enjoying it, and whilst we know of these consequences, that are often horrific for the people providing us with this entertainment, just who are we?
Are we good people knowing this?
We are all trying to be good people right?
A pit bull loves to fight, it's bread for it, if it could sign a contract waiving all its rights to healthcare and stating it knows the risks and agrees with the consequences, it would take the pen and attack the other pit bull with it before you could get it off him.
Just because people love doing something, it doesn't mean we can support it in good conscience.
Is eighty minutes of entertainment a week, worth it for even one Alex Popham, much less 200 Alex Pophams?

What’s your point? Are you advocating banning something, or perhaps everything?

He can speak for himself but from the OP I assume that he isn't advocating anything, he's asking questions. Questions that I'd started asking myself. I've loved seeing various Welsh players flying into the tackle and I feel great when it results in a Grand Slam but how will I feel if some of those players have early onset dementia in a few years time?

[Jimmy Smallsteps]

I'm fourth gen rugby player. My young lad gave it a lash from 8-12; but not for him and far from being gutted, I was relieved. Swimming and rowing his other sports interests, and has stuck with rowing. Super fit. Has the craic with his clubmates, but as he's become a sculler rather than part of a crew, he simply doesn't have the same sense of camraderie that rugby gave me (and presumably any team sport offers). That aspect is a shame. That community/social sense; the bond forged by a team sport is hard to replace I think, and it concerns me that as a society, people are tending toward solo pursuits, rather than team ones, or ideally, a blend of the two.

Are we headed to better individual health at the expense of increased selfishness/further weakened 'social health'?

I look at rugby as a character building experience in a similar way as I do university.

Both made me grow a lot as a person.

[Happyhooker]

This thread is suddenly fucking hysterical

[Guy Smiley]

Just checked scores…

[Happyhooker]

Just checked scores…

It was more the size of the guy who scored the winning try. 11st soaking wet max

[Jimmy Smallsteps]

Just checked scores…

It was more the size of the guy who scored the winning try. 11st soaking wet max

Yeah it was like Italy thought, fuck it things aren't working out. Lets get one of the lads in from our cracking football (soccer) side.

[Tilly Orifice]

Football is on it's way to banning "heading the ball", completely... so will rugby likely follow and become a much different sport to the one we see now? A sport where head injury is greatly reduced... if not completely eliminated.

Not sure how they'll do it.. without turning it into touch rugby... but it seems inevitable?

To be fair, I'd be ok with it if they banned heading.

[Fonz]

Don't like it? Don't play or watch.

Thank me later.

[average joe]

I like farming but animals are an unpredictable lot. I'd rather do that though than risk a papercut in the brutal world of office politics. I do both though, one for the money and the other because I like it, and the money. The positive spinoffs it brings to others hardly feature.

[GogLais]

I like farming but animals are an unpredictable lot. I'd rather do that though than risk a papercut in the brutal world of office politics. I do both though, one for the money and the other because I like it, and the money. The positive spinoffs it brings to others hardly feature.

The OP was about how some spectators feel, not the participants.

[average joe]

Great, do you recon the participants will stop because of how the spectators feel? These guys pick up a ball when they're kids and enjoy it. Unlike the guy shovelling shit at the local sewage processing plant they are lucky and talented enough to make a career out of something they love doing. I don't think what yeeb or you or me or anyone ells feels would change their decision.

Do boxers risk being beaten into a pulp and get knocked out several times in their lives because they care for how the spectators feel? I mean, fok they could have rather played fiddlesticks or something. Why would they risk getting smacked in the chops just for a few fokkers who like watching them getting smacked in the chops?

[Mahoney]

You don’t think the fokkers paying them thousands to millions of dollars, depending on their profile, to do it affects their decision making?

When no one’s paying they don’t go beyond three rounds of three minutes / four rounds of two minutes.

[GogLais]

Great, do you recon the participants will stop because of how the spectators feel? These guys pick up a ball when they're kids and enjoy it. Unlike the guy shovelling shit at the local sewage processing plant they are lucky and talented enough to make a career out of something they love doing. I don't think what yeeb or you or me or anyone ells feels would change their decision.

Do boxers risk being beaten into a pulp and get knocked out several times in their lives because they care for how the spectators feel? I mean, fok they could have rather played fiddlesticks or something. Why would they risk getting smacked in the chops just for a few fokkers who like watching them getting smacked in the chops?

As far as I’m concerned this particular debate isn’t about stopping people doing anything or passing judgement on anyone. It’s about how comfortable some of us (possibly only a tiny minority) feel about watching other people possibly fuck themselves up for life. And I’m not trying to persuade anyone else to feel that way, it’s just an opinion.

[Insane_Homer]

Has Italy's wonderful victory finally broken Refry for good?

[Lobby]

Has Italy's wonderful victory finally broken Refry for good?

He’s still trying to work out how to claim the Italians are all posh bastards who hate the poor and have ruined his life.

[average joe]

You don’t think the fokkers paying them thousands to millions of dollars, depending on their profile, to do it affects their decision making?

When no one’s paying they don’t go beyond three rounds of three minutes / four rounds of two minutes.

Definitely, same as the pay check for the guy shovelling shit for a living. Does it mean they'll stop because they don't get payed? I played up to my mid twenties without getting payed. Now if you told me to shovel shit for free I'll tell you to have sex with yourself

[Mahoney]

Does it mean they'll stop because they don't get payed?

Stop doing 12 rounds of 3 minutes without head protection?

Yes?

[average joe]

Great, do you recon the participants will stop because of how the spectators feel? These guys pick up a ball when they're kids and enjoy it. Unlike the guy shovelling shit at the local sewage processing plant they are lucky and talented enough to make a career out of something they love doing. I don't think what yeeb or you or me or anyone ells feels would change their decision.

Do boxers risk being beaten into a pulp and get knocked out several times in their lives because they care for how the spectators feel? I mean, fok they could have rather played fiddlesticks or something. Why would they risk getting smacked in the chops just for a few fokkers who like watching them getting smacked in the chops?

As far as I’m concerned this particular debate isn’t about stopping people doing anything or passing judgement on anyone. It’s about how comfortable some of us (possibly only a tiny minority) feel about watching other people possibly fuck themselves up for life. And I’m not trying to persuade anyone else to feel that way, it’s just an opinion.

"Every sport has it's injuries" is something my uncle use to say allot. The human body is a fragile thing, you could get seriously injured and die doing something mundane like mowing the lawn. Does this mean we should all lock ourselves in bomb shelters and do nothing for the rest of our lives?

Do you feel the same way over tradesmen, sparky's, bricky's, plumbers, boilermakers, fitters and turners, the list goes on. They all risk their lives on a daily basis for our comfort and societies advancement. They do get payed well though and the money probably motivates their decisions.

[average joe]

Does it mean they'll stop because they don't get payed?

Stop doing 12 rounds of 3 minutes without head protection?

Yes?

How do you feel for the guys doing 4 rounds of 3 minutes with head protection and without payment, or does their head injuries not count?

[GogLais]

Great, do you recon the participants will stop because of how the spectators feel? These guys pick up a ball when they're kids and enjoy it. Unlike the guy shovelling shit at the local sewage processing plant they are lucky and talented enough to make a career out of something they love doing. I don't think what yeeb or you or me or anyone ells feels would change their decision.

Do boxers risk being beaten into a pulp and get knocked out several times in their lives because they care for how the spectators feel? I mean, fok they could have rather played fiddlesticks or something. Why would they risk getting smacked in the chops just for a few fokkers who like watching them getting smacked in the chops?

As far as I’m concerned this particular debate isn’t about stopping people doing anything or passing judgement on anyone. It’s about how comfortable some of us (possibly only a tiny minority) feel about watching other people possibly fuck themselves up for life. And I’m not trying to persuade anyone else to feel that way, it’s just an opinion.

Do you feel the same way over tradesmen, sparky's, bricky's, plumbers, boilermakers, fitters and turners, the list goes on. They all risk their lives on a daily basis for our comfort and societies advancement. They do get payed well though and the money probably motivates their decisions.

Fair point but I’d hope that while accidents do happen, people shouldn’t have to risk their lives or early dementia to do their jobs. The thing is one aim of rugby is for players to smash into each other and professionalism means the smashes are bigger and more frequent. Money must motivate them but again I’ll say for me it’s not about the players’ point of view, it’s about my perception as a spectator.

[Mahoney]

Does it mean they'll stop because they don't get payed?

Stop doing 12 rounds of 3 minutes without head protection?

Yes?

How do you feel for the guys doing 4 rounds of 3 minutes with head protection and without payment, or does their head injuries not count?

I feel like they are welcome to. I'm all for freedom of choice.

I suspect they suffer rather fewer head injuries.

[Mahoney]

(It's 4 rounds of 2 minutes, or 3 rounds of 3 minutes - so 8 or 9 minutes total. Rather than 36.)

[average joe]

Fair point but I’d hope that while accidents do happen, people shouldn’t have to risk their lives or early dementia to do their jobs. The thing is one aim of rugby is for players to smash into each other and professionalism means the smashes are bigger and more frequent. Money must motivate them but again I’ll say for me it’s not about the players’ point of view, it’s about my perception as a spectator.

Ja they shouldn't but they do. I cant think being electrocuted or being chewed up by a machine is better than being smashed by anther guy trying to stop you from scoring a try. Workplace accidents still happen all the time and can be fatal or debilitating even with H&S rules and protective equipment. A hard hat protects you about as much as a scrumcap from a concussion when a pile of bricks falls on you.

[average joe]

(It's 4 rounds of 2 minutes, or 3 rounds of 3 minutes - so 8 or 9 minutes total. Rather than 36.)

8 or 9 minutes of getting repeatedly smashed in the head would do wonders for your beauty regime.