English here
I watch the super bowl live every year, and enjoy it immensely.

I played American football, in school, a America coach came and sparked our interests, we tried organizing a team outside of school, but tag American football(using ribbons not physically tackling players), was while fun a diluted game and totally different from what we practiced, eg the real game without pads and helmets.

In uni I was told there was a team, I trained and played without equipment, had fun then they expected us to shell out £300~500usd for our own equipment, can not be sure on the price, but I didn't have the money to continue, felt like a loser borrowing equipment every session, so I quit.
I could of done some traveling and got pieces of 2nd hand equipment for around £80, but didn't even have that spare money or a car to collect the equipment.


I played Corner Back, but liked to be a Lineman as well, big build with a fast sprint.

In my town rugby was never a big deal, football was the be all and end all and it is no exaggeration to say I played football every day from 10-16.

I miss AF, and might give rugby a try, because I know I will not have to fork out lots of money just to practice with pads.

I would say the following of American football outside of uni, is very low, UFC is well know and popular, even Ice hockey is more popular we actually have semi-professional teams.

It is hard for American football, to achieve a following when rugby is a established sport which any kid can play, where as their is few(any) AF teams outside of uni, the costs of participating are astonishing.