Unite For German Rugby Teams!

Let’s face it. We Germans love sports, and just about any sport will do. There’s football (that would be soccer for my American friends), track & field, skiing, bobsledding, boxing, mixed-martial arts, hiking, biking, and rugby (just to name a few).

Rugby? That’s not big in Germany.

At least for the moment it isn’t, but it sure is on its way.

If you think American football is rough, or think normal football (a.k.a. soccer) is a test of endurance — you ain’t seen nothing yet. But, first the rules!

Rugby, originated in England and the predecessor of American football, is played on a field called a pitch that’s 69 meters wide by 100 meters long. It’s flanked by two H-shaped goal posts; and game action takes place with thirteen players. Unlike American football, the only guy that gets tackled is the one with the oval shaped ball.

Perhaps the most vivid thought about rugby is the “scrum.” That’s when players all lock arm in a circle, all pushing back and forth on each other.

Whatever the rules of the game are; or whatever they’re doing in that huddle of theirs (probably discussing what pub to go to after the game, ha-ha) this is a very competitive and physically grueling game.

There are a lot of other rules, and trying to figure out how to score can be tougher than rocket science, yet it’s still a lot of fun to watch.

Don’t believe me, go see ’em in action. There are few teams in Germany that play for the Rugby League, like the Heidelberg Sharks and the Rhineland Reds.

Of course I bring this up because it hasn’t been all that long since Germany hosted the 2011 Women’s FIFA World Cup.

I know, rugby isn’t soccer, but wouldn’t it be nice to one day host the Rugby World Cup (that’s also held every four years) like New Zealand is set to do this September?

Heck, it would be nice for the German National Team (that’s part of the Rugby Union) to qualify for the Rugby World Cup (for which it’s never done). However, if we all united with them, they just might!