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Rugby Union vs. Rugby League Code War: What Is It Good For? Article courtesy of Matt Manley from American Rugby News.
Matt Manley
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I remember the first time I saw rugby league on television.
I stopped because it looked like rugby union, but mixed with football (in my naiveté, I actually thought it was a new thing).
I was interested, but it was all too much for me to grasp: two forms of rugby? I was still trying to wrap my head around one code let alone two.
I kept coming back. Whenever a rugby team would sign a league guy, I would watch with interest. Who are these guys? Why do people care?
I wanted to learn more, so I did some research and watched more league. The more I watched, the more I enjoyed it. The more I watched, the more I realized what the fuss was about.
I began to see the parallels between the codes and how rugby clubs could covet a player like Sonny Bill Williams or Lote Tuquiri; powerful, athletic and skillful ball handlers that are amazing to watch.
My research led me through the history of the codes and how they fractured. I still love to read about the subject, and it pains me that even after all this time the two codes still sit in opposition.
My chief issue with the archaic separation of the codes is that the two games both have things to offer footballers. There is no reason why players shouldn’t be able to play both league and union without a fuss.
America has the chance to be different and not cultivate a code war for no reason. We are not saddled with tradition or burdened by history. Let us buck those trends and allow players to do both with ease and freedom. It could only benefit rugby as a whole.
League can be used as a vital training tool for American rugby. It is simple to learn and is a great progression to intensify touch football.
Let us be honest, the ball handling of most American forwards is horrible, especially in the contact area. League boys do not knock-on nearly as frequently as their rugby counterparts.
It’s because the sport is all about ball handling. If nothing else, a summer of league would be nice practice with all those hit-ups.
As a coach, tackling is something I constantly have to work on with players. For some it is a matter of aggression. For others, it is a matter of technique.
League makes you work on flat line defense as a unit (heck, it’s where the concept came from!), marking your man and making a solid tackle. Again, it’s the repetition of the techniques that can only improve a player’s skill.
Lastly, and possibly most important, rugby union isn’t for everyone! For that matter, neither is league. Giving athletes a chance to play both codes allows for players to see what the other code has to offer.
Rugby union in America has a huge stranglehold on this country. League just doesn’t have the grassroots structures to grow the sport and with Sevens in the Olympics, it has an even bigger uphill climb. With that said, rugby people don’t need to fear a mass exodus to league.
Obviously, I would love to live in a world where rugby league and rugby union were united, but that is just not going to happen.
The sports have evolved into two different animals and just like breeding a tiger with a lion, you might get something with a cool name, but it will be a sterile creature.
