Cactus Game Design Message Boards

Okay, so, I'm sitting here last night and today, and happened upon Rugby 7's College Championships.  I have to say, this is a really good sport.  A lot of excitement, non-stop, and it is not only still strategic, but showcases true athleticism.  I'm really impressed by the abilities and stamina of these players, and the sport is really entertaining.

Has anyone else ever watched this sport?  More information HERE on the sport.  Basically, it is Rugby played 7 on a side with shorter halves but no breaks in play almost at all on the same 330ft x 230ft field.  Ridiculous pace.

I watched the video there and then spent the next hour and a half watching other rugby videos. This is a very adrenaline-filled and intense sport to say the least but it looks like a lot of fun.

Yeah, last night I put it on with nothing else to watch, saw about 5 minutes and then looked for when it would be on next.  Today I watched ten or so matches, and was very impressed with not just the game, but with the skill and athleticism of the players.  I could just imagine how people would react seeing some of them in the NFL or other sports.  In fact...the NFL could learn some things about tackling from them Without pads or a helmet, you have to use fundamentals, not exploit safety as a weapon.

Football tackling and rugby tackling are not close to the same thing, and neither are an exploitation of anything besides sheer muscle-power.

No, I'm talking about football (American, obviously ) tackling having degraded over the decades with an emphasis on the 'big hit' at the expense of fundamentals.  They use their helmet as a weapon, when it was intended for safety, and lead to injuries and actually hurt their ability to tackle.

Rugby tackling is actually the proper way and the safer way, both.  You are supposed to tackle with your face forward to see where you're going, wrap up, and drag to the ground.  NFL players nowadays lead with the crown of their helmets and shoulderpads just to lay a big hit, failing to execute the tackle properly, resulting in more injuries (especially concussions), and leading to more missed tackles at the same time.  But they feel 'safe' doing it because of the gear, even though it is incredibly dangerous to themselves.

That's what I mean about exploiting safety gear, turning it into a weapon and feeling invincible.  Rugby players don't have either.

It's no Kronum