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It's absolutely nothing at all like that. RL is probably more similar to American Football than RU.
That's probably more to do with the fact that RL isn't a professional sport in America and American Football isn't a professional sport outside of America. Either way, your example regarding Canadian football is completely inaccurate. You see a game of Canadian Football and a game of American football, and you would have to watch for a while to realise they were different. You see a game of RL and a game of RU, and it's obvious pretty much straight away that they are different sports. I would say a better comparison for RL and RU would be boxing and MMA - the basic principles are the same, people can cross over between them but it's obvious to anyone that they are clearly different. Teaching people RU and then changing the rules to make it into RL would just be stupid and a complete and utter waste of time. Just teach people RL, it's a much more accessible sport anyway.
I'd like to answer this question if I may. I think league can stop relying on Union players and extend their season once the first trained generation of born-and-bred Americans come of age. I'm talking about the middle schoolers that are now learning the game in the USARL-driven American Youth Rugby League Association. I for one wish it were sooner, and maybe it will be. The AMNRL is doing some work with colleges in the Mid-West, and British Columbia Rugby League will be launching a number of programs at colleges on Canada's west coast in the spring of 2012. I think it would be very difficult to ask players to leave union for league. League may be the better game, but union is a very club-oriented sported. By that I mean, many clubs, even in small towns, have clubhouses and have a very social atmosphere about them. It would be very difficult for players to leave something that has provided them with more than just the game and I wouldn't blame them for wanting to stay. Rugby union is probably the most social of all sports in North America, more so than even hockey in Canada or football in the United States.
I have to agree with that. Whenever I talk to people about rugby league, and I do that on a daily basis, I tell them it is like football without the huddles.
After telling people it is like football I also say "This isn't rugby union which is the sport you are familiar with, it's rugby league. Its a different sport." Also adding "In rugby union when a player is tackled he must release the ball. In rugby league when a player is tackled he gets up, puts the ball on the ground and rolls it back with his foot (here I show them physically) to another player and play begins again." I then talk to them about six tackles etc. and explain that the game is a lot more exciting than rugby union and in my opinion "could be the next great sport in North America."
Now that we've reached 10,000 posts do we 'level up' rpg-style and get a second troll?;-)
