Most people do not know about Rugby or have never watched it because of the lack of play time that it receives on television sets across the United States of America. That, in my eyes, is a shame. Rugby is one of the most entertaining games to watch and it is pretty easy to understand the rules after a few minutes of watching. Rugby has been around since ancient Greece.
People call it the "manly version of american football" for the fact that there are no pads worn and the hits can sometimes seem worse than a blindside hit in American football. According to some sources, Rugby is the fastest growing sport in America at the moment. This is huge because it is only made big by some club teams throughout the United States.
Recently, a group of investors announced the first Professional Rugby League inside of the United States would be formed and play in the 2016 Season. This is a huge leap for the sport in the United States. Surprisingly, Team USA had not been the best team in the world but is slowly making there name in the international realm of Rugby. For the first time since the 1924 Olympics, Rugby will be included in the line-up of sports.
Team USA was ranked third in the rankings and should be able to put up a strong fight against the other countries competing in the tournament. The biggest tournament of the year for USA rugby happens in Las Vegas, Nevada. Twenty-two teams compete against each other over a weekend to get to a winner. This tournament is one of the only broadcast of sevens rugby that I have ever seen on TV. Sevens Rugby is a team comprised of seven players rather than the standard 15. It is a quicker paced game and usually lacks the big burly player and replaces them with a more speed driven, but still big players.
As you would assume, the country that has the strongest team is usually New Zealand. They are almost unstoppable nine times out of ten. Each team has it's own strengths and weaknesses. But if you are looking to get into the sport then you should focus on a slower game which would be in College. College rugby runs at a little slower speed but still as exciting to watch. Once the rules and procedures make sense to you then you are set on the right path for total Rugby infatuation.
If you have not given the wonderful sport of Rugby a chance, go out and support your local team and meet the players. Most likely your school has a club team that plays almost every Saturday and has about four fans out there to support. Armstrong State competes weekly against schools from across the state. Many people do not know about their team and do not know when they play. Sadly, the season is coming to a close and the last home game is on Feb. 27 against Morehouse. They compete on the Recreational Fields where the new tennis facility is being built.
