Five Reasons A Football Fan Will Love Rugby

Rugby is the fastest growing team sport in the U.S., but many people still haven't heard about it or how much fun it is to watch, especially for football fans. The Penn Mutual Collegiate Rugby Championship, to be held near Philadelphia on June 4-5, is a great chance to see rugby in action, either in person or on television.

Here are five reasons football fans will love watching rugby.

Rugby is the Father of Football

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Both games have their origin in the many types of football games played in Britain in the mid–19th century, where the ball was only kicked, never carried. Rugby was invented when someone picked up and started running with it. The first collegiate rugby game was played between Harvard and McGill in 1874, and the first intercollegiate football league was formed in 1876, following the rules of rugby. American football quickly diverged from rugby, with the introduction of the line of scrimmage, down and distance rules, and eventually, the forward pass. Rugby does not allow the forward pass.

Rugby is All Action, All the Time

According to  , the average amount of time the ball is in play during an NFL game -- from the time the ball is snapped until the play is whistled dead -- is about 11 minutes. There is a full 67 minutes of players just standing around on the field!

With rugby, there's no stoppage of play. No huddles. It's non-stop action for the entire game. The closest football gets to this is when special teams are on the field or during option plays in a college football game. Rugby games are fast-paced and very intense. Nobody stands around.

Rugby is Easy to Understand

Because of the similarities between football and rugby, the scoring system in rugby is easy for a football fan to understand. When the ball reaches the goal line in football, it's called a touchdown and scores six points. In rugby, it's a try, but the ball needs to be physically placed on the ground, and it's worth four/five points. There is an extra point kicked afterwards, as well.

Rugby-style Tackling is Changing Football

With the emerging focus on concussions in football and the   of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), football teams are looking for ways to make the game safer. You might be surprised to learn that football teams such as the Seattle Seahawks and The Ohio State University are  . For all of rugby's well-deserved reputation for rough play, rugby players don't suffer the sort head injuries seen in football, because they don't lead with their heads when tackling. Rugby offers a cleaner style of tackling, one that football fans are likely to see more of on the football field.

Speaking of safety, rugby players don't wear helmets or pads. This makes the game much more "up close and personal," because the fans can see the faces of the players.

Anyone Can Win

Rugby is rooted at the collegiate level, as evidenced by the growing presence of the sport on college campuses. It's possible for smaller colleges to support a competitive rugby program that is able to beat larger universities. That can make for some interesting rivalries and some rabid fans. The Kutztowns of the world have a chance to participate in the sport on a national level. Kutztown can play Michigan in rugby and win, but in football, Kutztown would be killed.

Rugby today is the way college football was back in the 1950s, before the big money got involved. Rugby is a level playing field, which makes for greater and more dynamic competition, especially in Rugby Sevens. Any team can win.

Sponsored Content Provided By Penn Mutual Collegiate Rugby Championships