In this concussion-safety environment, football programs are turning to rugby to teach their players how to safely and effectively tackle the opposition. A few years ago, Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll transitioned to rugby style tackling with the help of professional rugby coaches. That first year of implementing rugby tackles into their program, the Seahawks won the Super Bowl. Rugby tackling involves heads-up shoulder tackling. Rugby players lead with the shoulder — never the head, because they wear no protective headgear — with an emphasis on hitting the ball carrier hard in the strike zone above the knees to the lower chest while wrapping the opposition up with their arms and driving them to the ground.
This is one of the reasons why rugby players do not wear protective equipment such as helmets and shoulder pads. Rugby tackles are much safer. The head-up, shoulder-first approach to tackling helps prevent head and neck injuries and concussions. The last argument I would like to make for football players joining a rugby team in the spring is that college recruiters are now looking more for multiple-sport athletes as opposed to single-sport specialists.
The NFL draft had the highest percentage of high school multiple-sport athletes since Nearly 90 percent of draftees had participated in multiple sports in high school.
Case in point, Nate Ebner, the extraordinary special teams player for the New England Patriots now pursuing his second SuperBowl ring , was a national-caliber rugby player in high school and college. The Patriots even let him take some time off from training camp this past summer to play rugby at the Olympics. And, if you have ever seen a rugby match, you know why! Ebner probably went back to the Patriots in the best shape of his life.
So, if there are any high school football players out there interested in playing rugby, send me an email. There are certain things that you get to experience as a rugby player that you otherwise will not be able to experience somewhere else.
Team sports and the like offer unique experiences that you carry with you for the rest of your life. If your school is not exactly well-funded, there will be the experience of going on school drives to help fund your sports team. These are once in a lifetime experiences that can certainly contribute to your growing character.
When you have a LOT of things to do in your course, it might be a little bit more than you can handle. Team sports will require commitment. School sports and being part of a school team will entail matches with other schools from time to time. In preparation for this, there will be prolonged practice sessions and extended trainings. As with any contact sport, you will come to expect some degree of injury to go with the territory. Even if you do try to play safe, there is always the risk of serious injury like broken bones and fractures.
If you are not willing to risk any injuries, it would be in your best interest to stay away from a contact sport like rugby. When you are on the school team, most educational institutions require their athletes to a higher standard.
As such, they are expected to have grades that are better than most. This can cause additional strain on an already stressed person. Taking into consideration the risks and even the benefits that one can gain from playing Rugby; our ultimate answer would have to be a big resounding YES.
If you still doubt whether or not the risk is worth it, we truly suggest that you watch a match and give it a try. You may end up surprising yourself with what you see with your own eyes. Always remember that experience is the best teacher. If you give it a try and you still do not think it is worth it, you can still pat yourself on the back! You had the courage to try something new and that in itself is already a great achievement!
So what do YOU think: is rugby in college worth the risk? Skip to content. Pros Rugby will help you get healthy Rugby is a strenuous physical activity. It became clear that being together off the field was an essential part of the sport. The opportunities of greek life are not limited to socialization. One thing that sororities and fraternities teach their members is how to run an organization. These sororities and fraternities are essentially small organizations which need to be funded and managed by the students who participate in greek life.
Sororities and Fraternities often run fundraising events for their own chapter, as well as contribute to many charities through both labor and fundraising. Not every member is required to participate in running the chapter, but those who do can often apply their experience to future endeavors like a career or even just personal finance.
Just like Sororities and Fraternities, college rugby clubs teach their players how to run a successful organization. Since few American undergraduate institutions recognize their rugby team as an official NCAA sport, most college rugby clubs are run by current players.
That is why most rugby teams are club sports which require representation to their student activities organization. The representative will attend budgeting meetings and ensure that the college rugby club is getting sufficient funding. These rugby clubs are also responsible for keeping up with USA Rugby guidelines.
Registering the team provides insurance for both the team and the players which are vital considering the contact nature of the sport. Another regulation that college rugby clubs must follow is to provide an official referee at their games. Rugby clubs must also have an on-site medic, and often an ambulance, in case any serious injuries happened during a game. Some teams even provide a physical therapist or trainer on the sidelines of their games.
There is also the added expense of travel to away games and the occasional overnight stays known as rugby tours. All of these expenses add up, and money must be handled carefully to provide ample funds for each of these essential services. Everything from purchasing balls to organizing matches is a duty performed by a member of the team.
There is a lot to juggle in running an organization like a college rugby club or a sorority. Sometimes there can be a steep learning curve to learning these organizational skills, but once a person gains that kind of experience, they will be better equipped to manage all different challenges.
Learning how to handle money and follow official rules is valuable, but perhaps the most important education that comes from rushing Greek or joining Rugby is how to work with a group of people and how to solve conflict effectively. Younger members have to learn how to respect the students who have a leadership role within their group. The rookies have to listen to their rugby team captain , within reason, for a team to run smoothly. Just like pledges must respect the customs and decisions of the senior members of their sorority or fraternity.
These groups also teach students how to be effective leaders. Eventually, those pledges and rookies will find themselves having to assume a leadership role. They will able to draw from their experiences of being an underclassman, and apply their knowledge to leading and improving their organization.
Sometimes it can be difficult to lead a group of people who are so similar in age, but learning how to lead your peers is a phenomenal exercise. Since greek life and college rugby teams are separated by gender, it provides equal opportunities for both women and men to learn how to be a good leader as well as a good follower. Things may not always run smoothly within a college rugby club, sorority, or fraternity. After all, families fight; that is an inevitable facet of life. But, it is how these groups learn to cope with the conflict that nurtures personal growth.
Whether the conflict is resolved between two members, a group, or by the intervention of a leader, experiencing this as an undergraduate teaches students important lessons about conflict resolution.
When students graduate college and join the workforce, many will be required to work in teams. They will likely face conflict at their workplace or other challenges that arise when working with a team. Individuals who were part of greek life or in a rugby club during college will be better equipped to solve problems, and their emotional quotient is likely to be higher as a result of their experiences in college.
Though greek life and rugby culture share many similarities, they are fundamentally different at their core. Rugby culture is based on athleticism and competition. Rugby players are brought together on the field to play a sport together, to push their bodies to the limit, and to push their fitness boundaries as a team.
Though for many, the fitness aspect may be of secondary importance to the family they gain when joining the team, the fitness benefits of playing rugby are not insignificant.
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