Would an NFL running back dominate in rugby?

[WhoIam]

I'm an American visiting Australia and watched a full rugby game for the first time last weekend. I admittedly know nothing about the sport, but I was struck by how weak the ballrunners were, at least compared to American football. Defenders seemed slow and it seems like a fast outside back would be able to dodge most of these and be able to score a ton of touchdowns (or whatever they're called.) An inside power back also seems like he would be able to get a lot more tough yards than the comparatively weak running I saw. Am I onto something or here or am I missing something big about the mechanics of the sport?

[Bjorn]

Having tried both sports for bried periods in my late teens (both at a very amateur level) I would say that the main thing is that due to the fact that Rugby is a "continous clock game" and that American football is an extreme start-stop game they for all their comman heritage actually have quite different physical demands.

American football is a game more for exposive sprinter type athletes where as rugby players need to have much more stamina to stay on the field for 2 x 40 minutes of hard running and body contact and usually you can't combine that kind of stamina with extreme speed and quickness.

/Bjorn

[junglewarfare]

Stamina is the answer. An NFL RB would be drained 15 minutes into a rugby game because it is a continuous game and you have to play the other side of the ball. Add both those up and he would be exhausted very quickly.

I'm sure if you took any current starting RB and trained him for a while he would become a great rugby player though. I'm sure TEs and LBs could become very good very fast as well.

[deacsoft]

Lets also remember the injury factor. Most NFL backs would be out of the game after the first bump or bruise.

[WhoIam]

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Lets also remember the injury factor. Most NFL backs would be out of the game after the first bump or bruise.

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You're thinking of soccer.

[junglewarfare]

[ QUOTE ]
Lets also remember the injury factor. Most NFL backs would be out of the game after the first bump or bruise.

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its harder to get injured in rugby because you always know where tacklers are coming from and can prepare differently than in the NFL, and there are no pads (edit: or helmets)

[thatpfunk]

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Lets also remember the injury factor. Most NFL backs would be out of the game after the first bump or bruise.

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this is one of the dumber things ive read.

[sam h]

I've heard that Jim Brown went over to England at some point in the 60s and completely dominated. Don't know any details though.

[Case Closed]

IMO someone like Reggie Bush would have a shot. Someone like Jerome Bettis, not so much.

[Pudge714]

If they trained properly I think they would be very good Rugby players.