English Rugby versus American Football: A Comparison

American football is a game played by two teams of eleven players each. This extremely physical sport combines complex strategy plays to advance the ball to the opponent’s end. English Rugby, meanwhile, a game played between two teams each consisting of fifteen players, is played with the objective of running the ball across the opponent’s goal line or kicking it through the upper portion of the goal post. Some describe it as a blend of the contact of American football and the running of soccer.

While both are essentially contact sports (although most will argue that this is a gross oversimplification), there are stark differences between the two. In fact, American football and rugby Denver Colorado players have often been compared with each other, especially in terms of violence, and who between Rugby or American Football players would win, considering how teams of both sports tackle the opponent in matches. Perceptions vary widely, and whether or not these hold water is an altogether different matter.

The perception outside the United States is that American Football is just bastardized Rugby with thick padding designed to protect the players from harm. Hence, English Rugby for these people is necessarily the more brutal game, since players of the said sport have no protective gear such as padding and helmets to guard them from the tackles of the opposing team. Interestingly, most Americans hold an inverse belief. For them, Rugby is American Football without the padding. As such, it is viewed as senselessly violent.

These misconceptions between rugby and football are rooted in the belief that the two are essentially the same, which is flawed on a very basic level. The truth, as anyone who’s ever played both sports can attest, is far from it. A look into the mechanisms of the game will help shed light on these perceptions. In rugby, other than tackles, mauls, and lineouts, no other contact is allowed. The only collision permitted is when a player has the ball. One’s teammates are just there for support.

Dangerous tackles are also not permitted in rugby and are penalized. Once tackled, the player must immediately release the ball so play can continue. In American Football, any other player who does not have the ball had better be tackling with someone—preferably at full speed. In football, collision while blocking is allowed. The equivalent of this in rugby is called “obstruction,” an illegal move. Therefore, far more opportunities exist for player tackles and collisions in American Football.

Tackling styles are also very different for the two sports. As mentioned, the objective of rugby Denver Colorado players is to bring down the player (who has the ball) to force a turn over. In football, however, the purpose of tackling is to hinder the opponent from making advances in the other team’s territory. Rugby is about possession as football is about territory. This creates very different approaches to tackling. In the end, rugby is a contact sport, and football is a collision sport.

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