Reasons Why Rugby Is Better Than Soccer

The 1924 Olympics in Paris, France was the last time rugby was featured as an Olympic sport. After the US beat Romania 37-0, they surprisingly beat France 17-3 and won the gold medal. During the medal ceremony, the Star Spangled Banner was drowned out by the amount of hissing and booing from the viewers in the stadium. This was followed by a pitch invasion – a rushing of the field by fans. Because of this and the focus on more ‘independent’ sports, the International Olympic Committee decided to remove rugby from the Olympic sports. It was not until 2009, at the Dubai Rugby World Cup Sevens, that the decision was made to bring the sport back to the Olympics for the 2016 competition in Brazil. Why this decision was made can only be speculation,
Indeed, in many countries the national sports are soccer and rugby. In America, rugby has even more potential than soccer to become a household sport. Rugby is through and through a team sport. There are no individual heroes of a game; athletes need to have tactical knowledge, ability to develop strategies and working as a team to accomplish the plays to a higher degree than any other sport. The fans of the sport also present something important. Rugby is more child-friendly than soccer hands down. Attending a soccer match can be a dangerous situation – the fans go crazy and the violence and obscenity can very often go to extreme measures such as urinating in public, lighting fire to the other teams flag, and other scenes. Rugby fans on the other hand have much more comradery – the competition is fierce, but it does not become a riot as predictably as it does with soccer. Whereas rugby fans get together in a friendly national rivalry, soccer supporters separate into mobs. Many cities, including Amsterdam, forbid supporters of the opposing team to enter the stadium because of the destruction and riots that have
I am a rugby fan who jumps at any chance I find to watch it live, but unfortunately many times I have to wait until someone posts the game on youtube months later. Many Americans would appreciate the sport, and the sport would definitely gain ground in the American sport watching household, if only the sport were more accessible. Indeed, what hooked me on the sport was watching New Zealand’s All Blacks start a match with the Haka. After that, I was hooked. With the sport returning to the Olympics in 2016 after almost a century long hiatus, excitement is mounting with rugby fans. With this exposure, there are good chances that it will spark interest in the American people. Indeed, because rugby is returning to the Olympics, NBC is already airing games. This is a huge convenience for the American public who have an interest in the sport, and gives accessibility that previous to this was not available. Rugby is already becoming a rising sport in the American culture, and one that will only continue to gain