super_imps

This has really ****ed me off while flicking through the papers today. The Times has a "10 reasons why rugby is better than football" feature (you'd never catch any of england's rugby HEROES diving like those girlie footballers, rugby fans don't need riot police at games, England manage to get past the quaters of a rugby world cup mongmongmong), the Mail did a "these are REAL MEN" feature on how manly the rugby players are unlike our metrosexual footballers, columns praise the rugby players for being normal, hardworking down to earth blokes unlike the cosseted primadonnas of the Premier League, etc etc.

Why? Why can't the success of our rugby team be appreciated on it's own merits, without sly digs at football? The same happened when England won the Ashes (you'd never see two footballers on opposing sides embrace after a great contest like Flintoff and Brett Lee did, apparently) and when England won the Rugby World Cup in 2003.

Is it an inferiority complex? Is it people who don't like football taking the opportunity to give the game a kicking? Is it our media being mega retarded? And since our football team is actually doing alright at the moment, isn't it a little unnecessary?

FungusMungus

Nail + head there.

Serpico

They raise perfectly valid questions.

Dull, but valid.

Powlay

Didnt one of the broadsheets publish an appology after calling the egg chasers rubbish or something, and now having watched them get to the finals have a change of mind!

Fact is Cricket and Ruggers are not as strong in depth a sport as footy is. And that can only count against England.

Add to that on a normal week rugby gets what 1/10 of the coverage paperwise that football does the writers need to fill some extra space and make it look like that care about the National side getting to the WC final.

Nick OGS20

yes, yes, yes and yes. probably a few other reasons. it's really really rubbish whatever the cause.

ACou2000

probably just the usual media tide.

from one load of reactionary b*llocks to another.

Big Geordie

I'd say that it's more of a dig at the England football team. For years, players have been only to preparted to 'talk the talk' when a major tournament comes around. However when it comes down to business they can't walk the walk, consistently. Moreover, I'd also suggest the the spirit of the rugby team is such that they'd pretty much die for each other. I haven't seen that an in England football team for a long time - if at ever ?

Zaitsev

Media ********.

Docker

Because football needs to get its house in order and start to use the Rugby mentality of fair play and sportsmanship.....

If there is the possibility to put these players on a pedestal and use them as a bench mark, then go for it.

Obaid Al-Dosary

I probably prefer Cricket over Football, only a little bit though and I don't like comparing the two. Like chalk and cheese really.

Football is fb though.