Rugby comes to Franklin Field with double-header
By Mark Gress Jr.
Published: Friday, December 3, 2004
The first time I was introduced to rugby was about 10 years ago when I watched the movie "Necessary Roughness." Interestingly and coincidentally enough, the movie is about American Football. One of the players, "McKenzie," was dubbed the "little Australian Rugger" by the PA announcer. That was my very first exposure to rugby. This character was, as expected, as a former rugby player, very gritty. He was willing to do anything to play and to win.
Needless to say, that grit and that moxy that the rugby-turned-football player exhibited was everything I saw Nov. 30 at Franklin Field.
I saw two rugby matches, the first of which was between the Coogee Dolphins and the Glen Mills Bulls. This "under card" was my first official, live experience to the sport of rugby. What did I witness? Harder hits than anything I have ever seen in the NFL, a faster paced game than any NHL or MLS contest, and comparable skill, speed, strength, and athleticism to any sport played in America.
You think I took one too many sips of grandma's cough syrup? Oh no, I am clean as a whistle. This is no joke. It is so much like American football that it should catch on here in the US. The hitting is the same, if not better. The ball is the same, just bigger.
You know we Americans tout the "bigger is better" mantra all the time. The differences can be overlooked because the game of rugby flows so well and without any hitches. There are no forward passes, no blocking, and they have 5 downs instead of 4. Too crazy for you? Come on, this is the country that embraced prefessional wrestling for decades.
Am I not speaking your language?
No?
OK, well then it is pretty much a combination of football, soccer, hockey, and wrestling. There are hard hits, long runs, a fair amount of kicking, tackling, passing and one thing we love here in America: violence. That sounds barbaric but within the context of sport, I consider it fine and dandy.
"Footie" as they call it in the land down under, also institutes a rule similar to what some of us have used in street basketball: "make-it, take-it" or "winners out".
Basically, if you score, you get the ball back. This concept is unheard of in any organized sport, which adds to the uniqueness of rugby.
Those things, in conjunction with some solid marketing by the AMNRL and Drexel's Sport Management Students, brought the crowds to Franklin Field. Rugby fans and non-fans alike came to see the top level of rugby in the world and through that, one of the best teams in the world in Australia.
The USA ruggers were heavy underdogs coming into this contest. Their players certainly have the abilities and experience as shown in their 24-6 lead after two quarters of play over Australia. They pounded the jet-lagged Aussies until the third and fourth quarters when the Kangaroos had pretty much wrapped things up after reeling off 30 straight points to finish off the Tomahawks 36-24.
Regardless of who won or loss or the final score, we should take away a few significant things from this event. First, the heads and organizers from the AMNRL should be commended. They brought rugby to Philadelphia and made it work. They made it a point to honor those lost from the Coogee Dolphins squad in the bombings in Bali. They put on a very memorable show. Second, the USA team is pretty damn good. Sure they lost, but they hung around with the Aussies and gave them a fight. Finally, I see no reason why rugby shouldn't take in the US.
We pushed baseball to the side because the games move too slowly and sometimes take up to four hours to complete. Hockey pushed itself to the side with the lockout, plus it is a Canadian sport.
Soccer's lack of contact and hitting pushed itself away from a TV following. The lack of talent and ability helped push the NBA to the back of our minds.
The number one sport organization in America, the NFL, contains or encompasses none of the above.
Ditto for rugby.
Sure it may take time for the terminology to stick or the uniforms (or lack there of) to grow on us, but why not rugby? Why not here?
Sorry. Bad answer. "Try" again.
