The case against rugby

[Southampton Hake]

What a surprise for the armchair England supporter the players passing, catching and running with the ball against Ireland, three tries to two. At last an exciting game, in parts, and just maybe England will continue with this formula.

The other Six Nation's results increase the delight, Italy beat Scotland and France beat Wales. The Cornish Pirates beat Ampthill, though St Ives (The Hakes) did not have a game to potentially complete the perfect five.

 

[Voice of Reason]

Sadly Rugby (in its current form) has very little time left.

I remember fondly Wade Dooley, Paul Ackford, huge men, 6'7"+ 20st, part time rugby players, full time police officers, punching people at the weekend was probably a bus mans holiday back in the 80's. Thats not my point, my point it that for the size of Dooley and his ilk, they were slow and cumbersome, most forwards in the 80's wouldn't break 15 seconds for the 100m.
Fast forward 40 years, there are a number of forwards and backs who weigh in excess of 18/19st and run the 100m in under 12 seconds, this means the impact of tackle/collision is far more impactful than it ever was. Rugby has always been a tough sport on the body, but the collisions now are just off the scale, with the ever growing understanding of Dementia, and science behind the impacts of multiple collisions - i cant see how players will get insurance in the coming years, how many insurance companies are going to want to cover professional sportsman (earning nearly £1 million in France, which is why they are all going there instead of playing here) - its got to reach a point where things have to be changed.

 

[boletus edulis]

I don’t mind union, but I am with Butternubs, League is the better, faster and simpler to understand sport. I lived in Hull for a few years and I used to love it when there was the local derby game, you were either Rovers or FC. Really good atmosphere in town.

I like, to varying degrees, most sports but I really do not want to watch golf, so dull as a spectator sport. I’d rather watch tiddlywinks.

The sport that I think is most underrated and really liked was Kabaddi.