Rugby Is A Game For Barbarians Played By Gentlemen. Football Is A Game For Gentlemen Played By Barbarians

Oscar Wilde Quote

Rugby is a game for barbarians played by gentlemen. Football is a game for gentlemen played by barbarians; An Oscar Wilde quote revealing how sporting opposites attract.

An interesting insight into the comparative qualities of the beautiful game with that of the egg chasers (rugby for the uninitiated) in the 19th century.

It would appear very little has changed in the 21st century.

Maybe less barbarians follow football these days as it got commercialised around the world, but grass roots football can still be pretty brutal, as can rugby and have you seen the size of those egg chasers these days, scary!

Football The Working Class Sport

In the UK football has historically been a very working class sport. In the big cities all the schools give the kids the opportunity to play football but rugby is played far less, whereas in the former grammar schools and public schools rugby is taken more seriously.

While both games have a physical element to them it is in rugby that a prerequisite is for brute strength and power, football is more subtle where speed and skill are better assets.

Rugby For The Overweight Kids and Neanderthals

While this is certainly true there was an historical class divide with both sports although the line blurred over the years it is still envisaged in society.

It is this perception that 'posh boys' play rugby that still permeates through the country although the reality tends to present something different.

It is like horses for courses, when growing up kids tend to concentrate on things they enjoy. The 14 stone fat kid is never going to make it on a football pitch but he could excel at rugby, if the kids are good at it they want to continue playing it regardless of the sport, hence the attraction to rugby for the overweight and neanderthal types.

Article By: Michael Joseph Farrelly