why did rugby union fail to develope in the united states?

Answer 1

Well it did didn't it - reinvented as Gridiron? Much the same as Cricket was reinvented as Baseball. Too many skills required and too many rules, so it had to be dumbed down. So they made a smaller ball and allowed forward passing (much too difficult to work on passing a ball with 2 hands...and backwards). They couldn't figure out the scrummages because everyone had their hands on the (small) ball, so they opted for the pileup and then covered this up with a wonderful spin, that the whole game was about gaining yards (I forget the term). They could even then develop statistics about how many yards had been gained by players the team etc. Masterful application of elementary arithmetic!

Answer 2

You know, as an American who has traveled extensively, I always find it so interesting how everyone has all this bad stuff to say about America and Americans yet everybody copies what we create, and wants on board with our ideas. We do things our own way and really don't care what you think IS THE BOTTOM LINE!

The rugby thing is simply a matter of poor marketing historically and nothing else. It is turning around some, but the media is vastly different from the early 1900's when rugby was played here and the current state of the media presents huge challenges to rugby popularity.

Soccer only survives because of the large numbers of people who migrate here who like soccer (most of our neighboring countries are into soccer and know very little,m if anything, about rugby)

As far as this whole wimps thing......thats all pretty tough talk from a person on the other side of the planet rambling through a computer keyboard. OH THATS SO SCARY AND TOUGH. It sure shows how tough you are. Countries aren't wimps, individuals are (especially those who have to act tough behind the safety of a computer).

I personally like rugby, play rugby, and have a great time doing so. GO HAYWARD GRIFFINS!!!!!

Answer 3

Where did you get the impression that rugby union has not developed in the united states? What is your definition of developed? I just checked the USA Rugby CIPP website and I did a rough count of clubs.... there are about 2000 clubs, give or take a few. As for members? There are over 66,000 active players registered. Just because rugby in the US isn't commercialized doesn't mean it isn't here. And for those of you who do not live in the US, there is more to the country than what you see on TV.

Rugby players are alive and well in the US. We just don't feel the need to advertise ourselves to the rest of the world. Nor do we feel the need to say one country or another is filled with "sissies" to make ourselves feel better.

Answer 4

For a similar reason to rugby union being third place in the UK.....people in the States prefer Baseball and rugby comes a distant and minor preference. In the UK people prefer the overpaid Prima Donnas of football, and cricket. My concern is that the elitism of English Rugby (I am English) prevents the formation of a British League instead of the Magners and Guinness Leagues; and the predominace of the UK, France and the Southern Hemisphere is inhibiting promotion of more involvement by other European countries, such as Spain, Romania and Russia. We should be reaching out a lot more.

Answer 5

American Football is a derivative of the Football game played in England in Victorian times. In those days the rules of Football were inconsistent and vague. Sometimes running with the ball was allowed, sometimes not. All modern Football (Rugby Union, Rugby League, Aussie Rules, Soccer, American Football ...) sprung form the same roots.

Answer 6

You speak like it has failed already. It is alive and well out there. More and more USA players are getting good enough to play in the premiership (I can only think of Mike Hurcus though), and they have just appointed Nigel Melville as their CEO/coach, a man with huge credentials stating their intent at improving within the world rankings.
They also have a strong University following (I played against Stanford uni when they toured the UK) which is being strongly supported throughout the country.
As for TV I agree with other answers in that the available air tine is finite, and they already have a host of favorite sports, yet you can still find it if you look hard enough.

PS i am writing this as a rose wearing englishman, and my enthusiam for USA improving is only marred by the fact that they could probably beat us at the moment.

Answer 7

The development is great! Rugby is growing every year, mostly with the youth and women. The fact is that there is a club in just about every city across the country and with just about every University as well (there are over 50 in Michigan alone!). It is viewed as more of an underground sport where if you don't play or know someone who does, you have no idea about it or that they play it in your city.

Answer 8

The states are the only ones sitting with the medal for the rugby champions.... It used to be an olympic sport but because all the other countries seem to do so badly at it there was no competition and thus is now no longer.

Answer 9

It is because rugby is not a game made for the dumb american public. They like games where they can pay attention for 10 seconds, get immediate gradification and then move on. Americans have very short attention spans, and any sports that are continous games (soccer, rugby, and even somewhat hockey) are vastly unpopular becuase of the short media attention spans of Americans.

Answer 10

Because of the NFL.A lot of us love rugby; unfortunately, we're a minority. I talk about rugby at work, and people look at me like I smoke crack. People here are so wrapped up in the NFL!