[June 17, 2014] Today, I will start a series that uses sports lessons to teach us leadership. As noted many times here on theLeaderMaker.com, there is much to learn from participating and observing sports events. There are also cultural variations that make it that much more interesting, and frankly, more entertaining. The new Brooklyn rugby team will be my focus today.1
Source: Courier Life’s Brooklyn Daily
The sport is rugby and it differs from just about any other sport found in the United States in some significant ways. In the U.S., children are less likely to be involved in sports and adults would rather be watching television or spending time doing other things. Participation in sports, while very popular worldwide, has been on the decline. Participation in difficult sports like rugby or boxing is suffering more so. That is why this new club is good news.
Personally, I’m a big baseball and football fan. So how does rugby differ? 2 Compared to American football here are just a few differences:
| Category: | Football: | Rugby: |
| Players per Team | 11 | 13 |
| Downs to Score | Four for every 10 yards | Six no matter how far you get |
| Associated with: | United States | Australia |
| Protective Gear | Mandatory for all players | Reserved for chickens |
There is something to be said for this. First, many consider rugby to be the manliest of sports. Its popularity has helped revive the lost art of manliness3. Second, it requires both physical and mental toughness. There is more freedom to score and less rules than most other sports. Third, it is a true team sport that involves a brotherhood on and off the pitch (the field). It is raw power versus raw power.
If you get a chance to watch rugby, television is not the medium. You must physically be there to truly appreciate its grace. A new Brooklyn rugby team is great news for a city that is known for the metrosexual man. Rugby will help reverse the American trend of shying away from sports; let us hope any way. They tied their very first game against Rhode Island on May 31st.
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[1] “Scrum and get it! Brooklyn, New York gets a brand-new pro rugby league club.” So blares the headline form the printed edition of Brooklyn’s New Courier Life newspaper. The on-line edition of the article announcing the new club can be found here: http://www.brooklyndaily.com/stories/2014/24/all-kings-rugby-2014-06-13-bk_2014_24.html
[2] A game played primarily in Britain and its former colonies, rugby is a ball-sport played with a prolate spheroid. Or a fat football, whichever you prefer. Its a game with no pads and huge hairy dudes, the “scrum” is where most of the violence occurs. Punching, kicking, stomping are all common. It makes American Football look like a sport for pansies.
[3] The Art of Manliness can be found at: http://community.artofmanliness.com/group/rugby