The biggest threat to world rugby...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-14725789


It would be awesome to see it kick off in USA.

awesome! No pun intended i take it

pun?

would love to see it take off in the states let it spread and make it a truly global sport....even if the end result would mean wales falling further down the world rankings ;-)

What pun?

What Pun? Anybody else on here willing to explain

Kick off?

The oldest meaning of "awesome" is "something which inspires awe", but the word is also a common slang expression in English, originally from America - And that of course is the pun

I don't think than's a pun. And the word still means "something that impires awe". I thought puns were supposed to be a play on words.

That is not a pun.



Pun:
the humorous use of a word or phrase so as to emphasize or suggest its different meanings or applications, or the use of words that are alike or nearly alike in sound but different in meaning; a play on words.

To be fair though theres till more people in the US who watch/play roller derby and quidditch than rugby even if it is a growing sport and something they love to insert in movies to show how hard leading characters are.

Interesting stats indeed!

4.35 miles average distance covered in rugby compared to 0.19 mile in AF?

I disagree with the average height of a rugby player being 6 ft - I'd say it's probably more on a par with AF at 6 ft 2.

But I really don't see the Americans improving greatly or dominating rugby for a long long time, if ever.

They will never fully embrace a sport not invented within their own country.

But they have the second largest number of registered players don't they? Surely that means they should be the second best team in the world. Think of the playing pool

Let's just hope they never take it too seriously, otherwise we'll be fooked

Yeah there was a big story a few years back about that South Central project.

Some of the coaches were amazed by the athleticism of the people coming to training.

If it gets them out of the gangs etc then it has won already....but if some of them can progress...then i think the US could be a force some years down the line.

But then i expect Germany to be a force in the future.

HammerofThunor

But when do these players take up the sport? College perhaps... by then its often too late.

If they did begin to take the game seriously we all might as well give up.... we'd see no doubt the first metric ton pack and guys like Habana would be seen as below average pace.

Well i've always thought of awesome as being synonomous with the USA and hence the pun but what the feck, they won't take it up anyway.

I was surprised last year when well off the beaten track in Iowa University, Iowa City to see a really nice rugby pitch and training facilities. Apparently quite a few colleges have rugby clubs but it is definitely still only a minor sport. Similar to soccer in that as a youth sport USA has a very wide ranging and well particpated soccer scene - but when you grown up you move to the serious USA sports. Americans are obsessed with their football (gridiron), baseball, basketball, ice hockey and nothing will ever change that. I can see a growing amateur rugby scene developing but I don't think this will translate into the professional arena. Hence they may have large number of players but probably very few professionals.

Some of the french teams might find this upsetting. The US will probably have more money to spend on players if the sport does take off nationally and they get the TV and sponsership that normally associated with major sports in the US????

I expect in 50 years we'll still be talking about the potential of the USA much the same as people have been doing in soccer for decades.



I expect that Italy and Russia are the only teams who could really step up several levels in next few decades.

I currently coach rugby at a high school in Ohio, and all of the above are correct, however the main reason it will never take off in the USA is the rugby season or the pre season clashes with the American Football season. In our area, Cleveland, the season can only start when the snow melts and all the kids who are playing football or wrestling are done and return to rugby. If the rugby season was changed to a summer sport then perhaps with the correct direction from the IRB and American Rugby the USA will one day be a world force on the rugby field.

HammerofThunor wrote:But they have the second largest number of registered players don't they? Surely that means they should be the second best team in the world. Think of the playing pool

So England should always be the best team in the world then. Punching badly below their weight me thinks

I'm in the US right now - all I've heard this week is "what world cup?"

I'd put more money on Warburton lifting the Webb Ellis mug this year then of ever seeing the yanks take rugby seriously.