NFL vs RUGBY..which one has the bigger balls?

[ryanman]

I think both take equally big balls. You gotta be ultra-tough to play both at a professional level.

But would it be accurate to say that injuries are significantly more severe in American football?
Starting with the head... American football is rife with concussions, mainly because of the use of helmets (as strange as that may sound). These serve to protect, but at the same time embolden the players to throw themselves at situations you'd normally not throw yourself into helmetless. In rugby I imagine you have your fair share of stitches, bruises, and lumps.... but probably not as many concussions.

Knees are another focal point. Again, I think the speed of the NFL probably creates more severe knee injuries than rugby. There's been cases in the NFL of complete ACL and MCL tears, requiring serious operations and huge recovery times.

Hey Titofan, good to see you.
Your premise is right largely I think. Except concussions are very common in Rugby. Very common. \\\head clashes are every few minutes. You are taught to tackle in a certain way but mistakes happen several times every match. I'm a rugby player but love american football. I'd guess spinal injuries are more common in AmF but it's just a guess. Watch my vids and see Manu go. I've played against him.

[TitoFan]

I think both take equally big balls. You gotta be ultra-tough to play both at a professional level.

But would it be accurate to say that injuries are significantly more severe in American football?
Starting with the head... American football is rife with concussions, mainly because of the use of helmets (as strange as that may sound). These serve to protect, but at the same time embolden the players to throw themselves at situations you'd normally not throw yourself into helmetless. In rugby I imagine you have your fair share of stitches, bruises, and lumps.... but probably not as many concussions.

Knees are another focal point. Again, I think the speed of the NFL probably creates more severe knee injuries than rugby. There's been cases in the NFL of complete ACL and MCL tears, requiring serious operations and huge recovery times.

Hey Titofan, good to see you.
Your premise is right largely I think. Except concussions are very common in Rugby. Very common. \\\head clashes are every few minutes. You are taught to tackle in a certain way but mistakes happen several times every match. I'm a rugby player but love american football. I'd guess spinal injuries are more common in AmF but it's just a guess. Watch my vids and see Manu go. I've played against him.

Good vids, ryanman. There's some vicious hitting going on there. My premise on the concussions was based on the false sense of security of having a helmet and using it as a weapon in the NFL. While the helmet might protect the actual skull from cuts and bruises... it does little to protect the brain-scrambling effect of a vicious hit. But yeah... some of those hits in the rugby vids are pretty crushing. It's no wonder concussions are plentiful there too.

On a side note, one big difference between the two sports is the noticeable absence of big, fat guys in the rugby teams. In the NFL, with its specialized roles, you have these big-bellied, 350- pound linemen. It's surprising how much athleticism and stamina they have... but they still don't look like athletes... LOL.