WHICH IS DIRTIER?
Definitely the question that is on everbody's mind for ages. i felt like i should state my opinion because its just a very interesting topic for someone who plays both soccer and rugby.
It is a well known fact that rugby is a contact sport.Probably a risky one too because there isn't much protection except for mouthguards and a little padding than compared to American Football. But the players tend to make it up by beefing up their bodies the legal way and not to godly proportions. The hard knocks, tackles, diving and tussle in a scrum might seems like very rough by an untrained eye. But the basics of rugby teaches the right way to play the game without hurting yourself and your opponent under controlled conditions.But in a game itself, it is a totally different scene. Tempers flair! And players snapped, which leads to a variety of dirty tricks.
Props slapping each other in the scrum (me personally), flankers blocking the opposition scrumhalf during the scrum(taught as a cheat but cannot be seen by the referee), centres blocking their opposition during a box-kick(Luke McAllister got a yellow for that) and the feared of all stomping in a ruck. I got stomped in the face before and it is not really a nice feeling mentally and physically.
In the beautiful game of football its very easy to be dazzled by the swift legs of Brazil's Pele, switching hips of Argentina's Maradona and the tactical mind of Germany's Franz Beckenbauer. Everybody knows that football combines the world and divide them into teams. Every boy dreams to play in the soccer leagues. Every man dreams to manage a World Cup winning team. As years went by new players steps in and change the game as a whole.Tackles get dirtier, spitting and swearing is a must at every pause of the game, elbows and kung fu kicks fly and the infamous 'penalty' dive.
So what now? Both sports have their bad points. How do we decide who misbehave alot more? Simple. Its how the players react to their punishment for their raunchy deeds and how much respect they give to the 'Kings' of the Game. Yes! The referee. Ruggers generally have much more respect for the referee.They obey and hardly talk back when calls and decision were made. And when a rugger is given the coloured colours, its taken in like a gentleman and walk off the field as instructed. On the other hand, footballers are a more temperamental sportsmen. Vulgarities and threats are thrown at the referee and they wouldnt think twice about making the fellow rule-keeper look like a fool. The alarming note is that such actions are on the rising and making more headlines. From my point of view most soccer player deserve a 'fan-run-in-and-smack-your-face' punishment for each and every time they misbehave.
I think it is quite clear which is more dirtier. It's just an opinion. It maybe right and wrong. You decide.
Other news! It has been an upsetting semi-finals. Hot favourites and knock-out early and underdogs and hot in the chase of the cup.
I have a gut feeling to that South Africa might beat Argentina but I want the finals to be as such. A new winner is always nice. And it gives a hell of a kick while watching the match, don't you think so too?