What would you rather take the family to see, a game of football or rugby?

[User482]

Whilst Trevor Brooking was a gentleman of the game, his era (the 70s & early 80s) was blighted by crowd violence and hooliganism. Watching football is a far safer activity these days, expense and prima donna footballers notwithstanding.

Despite personally preferring football, I would take a family to the Rugby. I watched Bristol vs Gloucester last year at the Memorial ground. Admission was reasonable, you could take a pitcher of beer in, and supporters were mixed together. There was plenty of banter, but it was good natured.

 

[ChrisKH]

Rugby every time.

Before my last Twickenham outing I was in the Wellington pub at Waterloo station which was half full of football supporters off to Wimbledon and half full of rugby fans going to the International. The rugby lot were a mixed bunch but included a lot of Kiwi's and some families. The game was dire (for England) but the banter amongst the fans from both sides was great.

The football lot were a bunch of name attired (Kappa, etc) hooligans in baseball caps who were all taking drugs and sniffing coke off the toilet seat in the toilet. The animals went in two by two, I can confirm.

I would think very hard before taking either of my sons to a football match. I wouldn't think twice for the rugby.

 

[Ghost Donkey]

I found this group for youth rubgy league in London to upset the other lot. Go to links on the left and there are several clubs with junior sides listed.



It's worth a look,especially if you don't want your kids being on the sumo side of "athlete" Looking at the performance of the national team at the world cup we could do with some more home grown talent coming through the ranks.

 

[postman]

League everytime,should be back on BBC during winter.Good old Eddie.And do away with these stupid name gimmicks.Wildcats,wolves what a load of Bradford Bulls.

 

[beanzontoast]

I'm a late convert to rugby. We never got chance to play it at school, and I'm not a big football fan. The BBC coverage of rugby internationals was what got me hooked and I still really enjoy them. It took me a year to work out the rules.

The thing I would miss at a live rugby match is the commentary - I know some prefer to watch the 'live' action and take in the atmosphere without it, but having expert analysis of what is going on makes the experience for me. In that respect, football is much easier to understand IMO. We have been to a few games as a family in the past - son and I still watch Derby occasionally. Not sure as a family we'd get the most out of going to a rugby match without some explanation of decisions etc.

 

[Fnaar]

My 12yr old girl has just taken up rugby... she loves it! (She's a slight build, but strong, and very fast... good as scrum half, perhaps... and please, no jokes about her growing up to be a fine hooker...

 

[ComedyPilot]

Would sooner pay for my family to do a sport, than watch a bunch of 'over-paid w*****s' attempt to do it.

 

[beanzontoast]

Would sooner pay for my family to do a sport, than watch a bunch of 'over-paid w*****s' attempt to do it.

Walkers aren't overpaid!

 

[Over The Hill]

Sorry but in the world of OTH rugby would be banned. Too many broken necks.

 

[ChrisKH]

I'm a late convert to rugby. We never got chance to play it at school, and I'm not a big football fan. The BBC coverage of rugby internationals was what got me hooked and I still really enjoy them. It took me a year to work out the rules.

The thing I would miss at a live rugby match is the commentary - I know some prefer to watch the 'live' action and take in the atmosphere without it, but having expert analysis of what is going on makes the experience for me. In that respect, football is much easier to understand IMO. We have been to a few games as a family in the past - son and I still watch Derby occasionally. Not sure as a family we'd get the most out of going to a rugby match without some explanation of decisions etc.

At internationals, for a small price you can get ear plugs and a transmitter and listen to the ref's commentary and linesmen. Not tried it yet, but it must get you closer to the action.

 

[Nicensleazy]

Well, for me, out of the both games, then it has to be rugby union!

 

[yello]

Having been brought up NZ, football (soccer) was a 'puffs' game for 2nd class citizens. You got a steady diet of rugby on tv/radio and people assumed you knew and liked the game. I naturally played football and fondly remember listening to English football commentary live on the World Service.

At college, we had no football team - but 6 or 7 rugby teams & 2 hockey teams. When we played another college that had a football team, those of us that played football would form a team - a kind of de-facto 1st XI. But there was no teacher to coach or anything like that - we were on us tod.

So naturally, when I left NZ, I had a good knowledge of rugby but a bit of a dislike for it. However, the UK roots were in Leicester - so I got to see the Tigers quite a bit as my uncle was a member. I used to take myself to see Leicester City - Spion Kop was £2ish as I remember. I followed Leicester City for years and was a season ticket holder for some of those, even though I lived in London. Then it happened.... football became crap. It was early 90s for me I guess. I blame Sky and painted faces.... "family football". It suddenly became product (more so than it was anyway). I was spending £100 a game on average (as a single bloke) and I didn't enjoy it. I simply stopped going.

My had Kiwi mates in London and I joined them in (beer and) rugby Saturdays. I had the completely bizare experience of going to Loftus Road (Queens Park Rangers) - a ground I knew well from football - to watch Wasps play rugby. Beer on the terraces! Women on the terraces!!

From that date to this, I have preferred rugby to football. It reliably remains, for me, the more enjoyable game to watch. That's not to say you can't get enjoyable games of football - you can - but rugby is more likely to be enjoyable and I would always recommend it live over football. More so here in France where the average standard of football is very poor. Outside of a couple of teams, the game is dull beyond believe.

Sorry, a long way of saying 'rugby'!

 

[Kovu]

Football. But proper football, not any of this premier league stuff.

 

[Kovu]

You mean Rugby Football?

Nice one!

You watch a leeds match, there's not much difference.

 

[Sittingduck]

Footie - don't do Egg-Chasing.