A great game of rugby league hits America as the 2024 NRL season kicks off in Las Vegas with a historic doubleheader.
Allegiant Stadium will host the event just three weeks after hosting American football's crown jewel, the Super Bowl.
The NRL's arrival in the US raises a question that has sparked intense debate for years – which sport is tougher: rugby league or American football?
People often say that Americans think like that, but that's a lie. Rugby league is only a blip on their radar at the moment.
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It is hoped the NRL's five-year deal to play games in the US, worth $200 million, will help grow the game there. Given that 10 games are scheduled to be broadcast on US channel FOX Sports until 2028, this kind of exposure means there is a good chance.
In the meantime, let's start our own discussions.
difference
While both are particularly brutal sports, there are many differences between rugby league and American football.
League games are played on a field that is 100 meters long and approximately 68 meters wide, while American football is played on a field that is 91 meters long and only 50 meters wide.
One of the complaints many Australians have about the NFL is how stop-start it is. In American football, after each play or down, the game essentially stops as the team prepares for the next down.
Obviously, rugby league is much more free-flowing. That means the players need very good aerobic fitness, and some players basically keep him moving for 80 minutes.
Not so in American football. American football moves at a much slower pace and consists of repetitions with short bursts of strength, speed, and agility.
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Even with all the suspensions, each NFL team would carry a 45-player roster on game day, with roughly 20-21 players available on offense and about the same number available on defense. becomes.
There are unlimited exchanges, with players occasionally swapping in and out from play to play.
Leagues, on the other hand, can only use a maximum of 18 players each time, and all must play offense and defense.
But what Major Point League fans like to use when trying to win this argument is the use of padding and protective equipment used in the NFL…
Padded/unpadded arguments
On the surface, Rugby League players don't wear pads (except for players wearing headgear), but NFL players do wear pads, plus the fact that the league is much faster The fact that it is played at pace makes it seem like a clear case that our great game is a tougher sport.
However, it's not that simple.
There's absolutely no question that any NFL tackle can be more vicious and violent.
Rugby league has bone-jarring hits, and when two giant bodies collide, it's enough to shake the earth.
However, compared to American football, the league is played in close quarters, with all players playing except for the defensive full-backs, who initiate the tackle within 20 meters of each other.
This limits the ferocity of the hit when lined up with where American football players start the play.
It is not uncommon to see players running half the field in all directions to make a tackle, sometimes using their head and the top of their helmet to stay in front.
Essentially, the helmet is used as a weapon, giving the player permission to recklessly attack anything they see.
This obviously can lead to some horribly violent collisions in sports, and can lead to very serious injuries (or worse) every game if the players weren't wearing pads. .
It's worth noting that just as the NRL has wiped out ugly tackles and hits in recent years with strict amendments to the rulebook, the NFL has also been tough on players on the field and financially against hits to the head. This is because a change has been made that imposes a penalty.
opinion
Many professional athletes have also voiced their opinions on this issue.
But perhaps most importantly, Philadelphia Eagles left tackle Jordan Mailata.
Mailata, who grew up in Sydney and played rugby league as a junior, made 12 appearances for the Rabbitohs' under-20 team in 2017.
He was told in no uncertain terms that his large size and fitness level were not suitable for rugby league and that he should be playing a sport that valued his size.
He did just that.
Mailata, who entered the NFL through the International Pathway Program, was a very quick learner and the Eagles made him a late-round flyer in less than a year.
Mailata was asked to compare Eagles teammate Jason Kelce's rugby league to American football. new heights It's a podcast he co-hosts with his brother Travis.
He was pretty clear about what he believed was the tougher sport.
“When you play on the O-line (offensive line) or the D-line (defensive line), it's tougher than rugby (league) because the pads don't do anything terrible,” Mailata said.
“When people say, 'Are you guys wearing napkins? You're a bunch of shitheads,' what do I say?
“The padding that's on your chest is so thin that you're wearing the helmet up to your sternum. It hurts, and three seconds later you have to do it again…it's every three or 40 seconds. It's like a light car crashing into you. That hurts, man.
“Rugby (league) is a tough sport. NFL players play rugby, and rugby is about endurance and technique.
“A lot of players get confused about the difference. It's a tough sport so you have to conserve your energy. Rugby is all about hits and running through everyone.”
Jason Kelce thinks rugby players don't have a chance in the NFL, not because they aren't tough enough, but because the two games are completely different.
“Do rugby players have a chance in the NFL? Absolutely not,” Kelce said on the New Heights podcast.
“This is a completely different game. People keep comparing the two.
“There’s one thing about frying pans in general: they’re durable.
“In rugby, the game isn’t interrupted, but it doesn’t really affect us that much.
“The physicality of the two sports is different. In rugby, you don't wear pads, so every hit is going to hurt a little bit more.
“I see those people beaten up and bleeding all the time. They’re bleeding, they’re bandaged up, their fingers are torn off, their ears are torn off.
“But in the NFL, because of the padding, the collisions are stronger and you don't see as many of the scary characteristics that you see in rugby.
“What's tough? Oh, that's tough. By traditional standards, I'd probably go to rugby.”
Kelce went on to use a great analogy to explain the different types of contact experienced in America.
“Would you rather be punched in the face 10 times or run over by a Nissan sedan?” he said.
“Rugby is like getting punched in the face 10 times. It's going to hurt if you don't have pads on. You have to be a tough guy to take the hits.
“Nissan Sedan, you're going to put pads on, you're going to get run over. And it's a football crash.”
UFC champion Alex Volkanovski also weighed in on the matter.
'Volk' played semi-professional rugby league in New South Wales before moving into martial arts and is now one of the most recognizable and popular names in the UFC.
Similar to his profile in the US, he was asked by his co-hosts. impulsive A podcast about his rugby league career and whether he believes the sport is tougher than American football.
“In the NFL, you're a blocker (offensive lineman), and I pretty much played that type of position (prop),” the Australian said.
“All contact sports are brutal, but (rugby league) is definitely up there.
“Obviously the NFL is pretty brutal, but rugby league is non-stop action and you’re running quite a bit all the time, so it’s quite physically demanding.”
“Sometimes I wrestle a little bit with the (NRL) players and sometimes I watch their training sessions and think, 'Damn, I shouldn't have done that anymore.'
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verdict
We prefer not to get involved in this issue.
Although both games may seem similar to the untrained eye, they are two completely different sports that require unique skill sets and contrasting types of toughness.
The ability of a rugby league player to continue running for 80 minutes while making tackles and running for an entire match should be celebrated.
On the other hand, in American football, having the courage to turn your back on the defense and catch the ball, knowing that there are fast players coming at you from all angles, is not for the faint of heart. not.
