Is Rugby Harder Than Football? Comparison – Sport Sierra

Rugby and American football are two very popular sports in the world, and both have a large fan base. Both sports require a lot of skill and athleticism, but they also have some significant differences in terms of difficulty, so is rugby harder than football?

This article will explore the similarities and differences between the two sports and determine whether rugby is harder than football.

Brief Explanation Of Both Sports

Rugby originated in 19th-century England. The game was brought to North America by British colonists and the military, where the locals changed the rules. Over time, American football was born. Nowadays, both sports require physical, but which one is the toughest contact sport and why? 

The game of rugby is basically a combination of American football’s contact, soccer’s sprinting, and basketball’s transition. The purpose of the game, which is played between two teams of 15 players each on a rectangular field, is to kick or run with an oval ball through the upper portion of the opponent’s goalposts.

American football is a two-team sport which 11 players on each team where there are unlimited substitutions. The goal of American football is to advance the ball to the opponent’s end zone as quickly as possible in order to score points. 

Rugby vs Football Similarities

First, let’s have a look at the similarities between rugby and football. Both sports require a high level of physical fitness, endurance and athleticism. They are intense contact sports where players must be able to run, jump, and tackle with great skill.

Both sports are pretty hard and require a great deal of coordination, agility and teamwork. In both sports, there is a lot of team play as players must work together to achieve a common goal.

In both sports, two teams are trying to advance a similar oval-shaped ball down the field across the competitor’s goal line or by kicking the ball over goalposts. The team that is defending, stops opposing ball carriers by tackling or snatching it. The scoring system of the sports is also similar as they score points by carrying the ball with this move, which earns them a touchdown or tries. Players also score points by kicking the ball through posts in both sports.

Differences Rugby Vs Football

Let’s have a look at the differences between rugby and football. One of the biggest differences is the size of the field. Rugby fields are much bigger than football fields. This is a factor that can make the game more physically demanding. Moreover, rugby players are required to play both offense and defense, and football players are typically specialized in one of these areas.

[email protected] — from the Washington Football Team vs. Los Angeles Rams at FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland. October 11, 2020 (All-Pro Reels Photography)

Rules differentiating the two sports 

A key difference between sports is the way that the ball is passed.

In rugby, the ball can be passed laterally or backward, but it cannot be thrown forward. In football, the ball can be thrown forward, which can make the game more dynamic and fast-paced.

Moreover,  All rugby players need to be good at tackling, catching, and passing as the roles in rugby are nonspecific. In football, players have more specific roles and have to be exceptionally good at a few things thing.

Physicality

When it comes to the level of physicality, rugby is generally considered to be a more physical sport than football. Rugby players are required to make more tackles and engage in more physical contact than football players. They also have to cover more ground on the field, which can make the game more demanding.

The physicality of the two sports is quite different. Rugby players are required to make more tackles and engage in more physical contact than American football players.

For example, Rugby union players travel about 6 miles each game on average. American football players, on average, only run about a mile per game and play for only about 11 minutes (as there are unlimited substitutions), compared to rugby players, who play for an entire 80 minutes. That is a significant difference. 

Compared to American Football players, rugby players must be cognitively alert for an additional 69 minutes, run more, and hit more. Rugby players do not have the luxury of stopping the play at each breakdown; instead, they must get back up, set themselves up, make that crucial tackle, cover the kick over the top, etc. 

When you need to mix strength, speed, power, and stamina, the game changes completely. Rugby wins in this area because of this.

Time played

Rugby and Football are played differently in terms of structured and this affects the difficulty of the game.

In rugby, the game is continuous, and play only stops for scrums, lineouts, and when the ball goes out of bounds. The sport is played without interruption, which can make it more demanding on the body. Each half of the game lasts for 40 minutes and there are no breaks therefore players lose a lot of energy during the game.

American football, on the other hand, has frequent stops in play, with the ball being put back into play after each down. It is also divided in 15 minutes quarters with breaks in between.

Protective Equipment

American football and rugby are different in terms of protective equipment worn. 

In American football, players are required to wear a variety of protective gear. These include a helmet, thigh and knee pads, shoulder pads, and a mouthguard. These are designed to protect players from the high-impact collisions that occur during the game. The helmet, in particular, is designed to protect the head and brain from concussions and other traumatic injuries.

Players in rugby wear minimal protective equipment. The sole piece of equipment that is required is a mouthguard to safeguard the teeth and jaw. The game’s regulations do not require participants to wear headgear or shoulder pads, but some may do so for added protection. Rugby players rely less on protective equipment and more on talent and technique to prevent injury.

The nature of the contact in each sport accounts for a large portion of the variations in protective gear. American football is renowned for its high-impact, full-contact style, in which players constantly deliver and take hard hits. In contrast, rugby is distinguished by a more continuous, flowing style of play that places less emphasis on large impacts.

Contrarily, rugby is distinguished by a more continuous, flowing style of play that places more of a focus on dodging and tackling opponents than on large hits.

In conclusion, due to the nature of the collision in each sport, American football players wear more protective gear than rugby players. Rugby focuses more on dodging and tackling opponents while American football is more focused on high-impact collisions.

Is rugby tougher than football: Injuries

Rugby and football both experience frequent injuries. Both games are physically demanding and demand intense contact, which can result in a variety of injuries. However, the precise kinds of injuries and the frequency of injuries can differ depending on the sport.

The shoulders, neck, and head are the areas where injuries are most frequent in rugby. Rugby players frequently sustain knee and ankle problems in addition to concussions. Due to the high degree of contact in the sport, rugby players are also susceptible to developing chronic injuries like osteoarthritis. According to a survey by the Rugby Football Union, there are roughly 20 injuries per 1,000 player hours in rugby, with the most frequent being a sprained ankle. The overall injury rate in rugby is higher in rug y than in football.

One of the main factors that contribute to the perceived danger of rugby is the high level of physical contact in the sport. Rugby players are required to make more tackles and engage in more physical contact than football players, which can lead to a higher risk of injury.

The knee and ankle are the two injuries that occur most frequently in football. Football players are susceptible to head traumas such as concussions. According to the National Football League (NFL) research, 6.3 injuries occur for every 1,000 player hours in football, with sprained ankles being the most frequent injury.

Studies have shown that football players are at a higher risk of developing chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a degenerative brain disease caused by repeated head trauma.

The comparison between the two games may differ based on the exact code or league being evaluated because Rugby Union is considered a more physical sport than Rugby League and American Football is considered a more physical sport than Soccer (also known as Football in some countries).

Rugby and football are both physically demanding sports that have a variety of injury risks

If we look at the talked G force, Rugby players can experience hits with more than 10 gs of strength multiple times during a game. On the other hand, American footballers may experience an average tackle force of more than 25 gs, but with far more padding. It’s clear that American Football players take more of a hit in terms of G force but it would be interesting to know how much the padding absorbs and to compare with Rugby. Overall, American Football wins this. 

Conclusion

Is Rugby harder than American Football?

So which sport is more challenging? Our opinion is that Rugby is more challenging than rugby. Playing rugby is like playing football without any protective equipment, and instead of stopping the game at every tackle, the game goes on and the team piles in and battles for the ball. The players continue to hit and play, with basically no breaks, for the entirety of the game.

Because there is no forward passing, the players need to go through the defense to score, making it more challenging.

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