Players from other sports playing rugby

[JW.]

that's kind of my point actually. An athlete is an athlete. If you were to but a rugby ball in Bo Jackon's hands at his prime it would be all over. Remember he is a reject from the NFL......

An athlete is an athlete indeed, does that make them good rugby players? No. They'll have the power and pace, but they won't have the brain. The rugby brain that is, you can sort of coach that especially for a forward at an alright level but a back, no. Good example of that is Italy. Altought they've nearly grown out of that.

[formerlyfastwing]

An athlete is an athlete indeed, does that make them good rugby players? No. They'll have the power and pace, but they won't have the brain. The rugby brain that is, you can sort of coach that especially for a forward at an alright level but a back, no. Good example of that is Italy. Altought they've nearly grown out of that.

"the rugby brain" can you market that? SA, NZ, Aus, Eng Fra do not have the only players that can "think rugby". If you look at a sample size as big as college football in the US, there is going to be players that can easily addapt to the sport.

[JW.]

"the rugby brain" can you market that? SA, NZ, Aus, Eng Fra do not have the only players that can "think rugby". If you look at a sample size as big as college football in the US, there is going to be players that can easily addapt to the sport.

It's not market? Not sure what you mean by that. It's about playing rugby from a young age and being coached at a high level from a young age. You can't expect someone to be pick up Rugby a 100% if they start playing at the age of 17-18+. See it here all the time in Holland. They've got big, fast and powerfull guys over here. But most of them start playing at 19. There are rare exeptions ofcourse.

[ranger]

"the rugby brain" can you market that? SA, NZ, Aus, Eng Fra do not have the only players that can "think rugby". If you look at a sample size as big as college football in the US, there is going to be players that can easily addapt to the sport.

Exactly, but i think that the guys people emphasise are the wrong type to go after. The ridiculous athletes people herald generally don't have the spacial awareness to really excel.

I always thought Micheal Vick was more suited to rugby than football, he can see openings in a defense very well, he can scramble with the best of them and has all the fabled NFL agility, but he doesn't have the arm accuracy to be a top flight QB. He wouldn't need arm accuracy to play rugby, with his footwork in avoiding the rush i would try and play him as an oversized halfback.

Tebow is another that would be a great rugby player, strikes me a Stephen Donald type of dude. Would also be keen to try out Vernon Gholston at 6, looks like another guy that is more suited to rugby

[formerlyfastwing]

It's not market? Not sure what you mean by that. It's about playing rugby from a young age and being coached at a high level from a young age. You can't expect someone to be pick up Rugby a 100% if they start playing at the age of 17-18+. See it here all the time in Holland. They've got big, fast and powerfull guys over here. But most of them start playing at 19. There are rare exeptions ofcourse.

What i mean is there is no such things as a "rugby brain" there are athletes that have been intorduced to the sport early, but if you pick a classic player like Tim Horan (my man crush) and dropped him into NA sport at a young age he would have been successful.

[JW.]

What i mean is there is no such things as a "rugby brain" there are athletes that have been intorduced to the sport early, but if you pick a classic player like Tim Horan (my man crush) and dropped him into NA sport at a young age he would have been successful.

I didn't mean people were born with that? I meant that u develop a 'rugby brain' (I don't know what else to call it, just the knowhow where to, what to do that instinct?) from a young age and it can rarely be taught to someone older.

[ranger]

What i mean is there is no such things as a "rugby brain" there are athletes that have been intorduced to the sport early, but if you pick a classic player like Tim Horan (my man crush) and dropped him into NA sport at a young age he would have been successful.

I can tell you right now, there is such a thing as a rugby brain. Even just watching under 6 touch rugby, you can tell the kids that were naturally born with spacial awareness and a knack for making the right decisions. Coaching helps but it is a natural skill.

Look at Carlos Spencer, no one had seen any of that shit before, let alone coached it into him

[formerlyfastwing]

I didn't mean people were born with that? I meant that u develop a 'rugby brain' (I don't know what else to call it, just the knowhow where to, what to do that instinct?) from a young age and it can rarely be taught to someone older.

I disagree. The bigger problem might be coach's ability to teach it. If you have a good athlete, that can read a flowing game, ie: hockey, BB, roundball, then he can learn to read the game of rugby. To be honest, any monkey can learn to tackle, ruck, maul. It's the ability to see the where the hole is going to be (this falls under your "rugby brain" comment) that makes the difference. If it can be done in one sport you can apply those skills to another sport, ie: rugby.

In fact there is a current international that didn't start playing rugby till he was "old", i wish my old brain could remember his name.

[formerlyfastwing]

I can tell you right now, there is such a thing as a rugby brain. Even just watching under 6 touch rugby, you can tell the kids that were naturally born with spacial awareness and a knack for making the right decisions. Coaching helps but it is a natural skill.

Look at Carlos Spencer, no one had seen any of that shit before, let alone coached it into him

no wrong, that is a natural athlete, take that kid out of NZ, magically move to the frozen prairie and put him on skates and he will do the same thing. On my boy's hockey team (5 and 6 yr olds) there is one boy that can pass, skate and play D. He has a hockey brain?, no it's an atheletic brain.

[ranger]

no wrong, that is a natural athlete, take that kid out of NZ, magically move to the frozen prairie and put him on skates and he will do the same thing. On my boy's hockey team (5 and 6 yr olds) there is one boy that can pass, skate and play D. He has a hockey brain?, no it's an atheletic brain.

Exactly, that kind of thing is transferable between sports. Thats why i said Steve Nash would be great. The bit i was objecting to is that it can be coached and taught. Youre born with it or you aren't.

[formerlyfastwing]

Exactly, that kind of thing is transferable between sports. Thats why i said Steve Nash would be great. The bit i was objecting to is that it can be coached and taught. Youre born with it or you aren't.

we might be arguing the same point here, I just appear to be doing better than you

[ranger]

we might be arguing the same point here, I just appear to be doing better than you

The bit i got confused with is here:

What i mean is there is no such things as a "rugby brain" there are athletes that have been intorduced to the sport early

I inferred that you were saying that as long as you take an athlete (which i read to mean a physically gifted athlete pace and agilty wise) and introduced them to rugby early, they would develop the spacial awareness needed in rugby.

[formerlyfastwing]

The bit i got confused with is here:



I inferred that you were saying that as long as you take an athlete (which i read to mean a physically gifted athlete pace and agilty wise) and introduced them to rugby early, they would develop the spacial awareness needed in rugby.

naw we are on the same line of thinking.....it's not a rugby brain per se, but a spacial awareness athletic brain

[Muzzy]

http://www.nfldraftscout.com/ratings...2009&genpos=SS

I feel vindicated!

Looking at his stats, and his college team, this is a player who is (was?) nothing special at his chosen sport and played at one of the lower tier of college sports. Incredible to think that there are plenty of kids out there with no future in the NFL with even better measurables. An un-tapped resource if ever there was one.

that would be a good idea, if they converted those players that couldn't make the NFL, Miles Craigwell, Justin Boyd and Leonard Peters all converted from Gridiron to Sevens, Leonard Peters was actually really good but they hardly ever gave him game time, idk why, but I'm not sure if he's still playing sevens, Craigwell and Boyd were both really fast but they don't have the passing skills and often look confused, they don't really know how to step either they were just fast runners, but Craigwell has the potential to be a good player once he develops the other parts of his game, he did score some really good tries for USA

[FlankerLady7]

Might Be Biased but Berrick Barnes is someone who excelled at other sports before sticking to rugby.

He excelled at Swimming, Cricket, Rugby League & Golf and was on a scholarship at Ipswich Grammar for swimming.

He then played rugby at Ipswich Grammar and the rest is history.

When he finished school he had the Reds, Brisbane Broncos & Queensland Bulls all chasing him.

[TRF_Draggs]

Old bump, but this seemed relevant.
http://supporters.wru.co.uk/matchday...media&id=12422

Aaron Shingler was also a pretty good cricket prospect before switching to Rugby.

[TRF_Cymro]

Played cricket against him, very good bowler.

[TRF_SelimNiai]

I played with (and once ran out) Bath player Jack Cuthbert while playing for Weston-Super-Mare CC

[white bear]

Kirill Kulemin play in canadian hockey (CSKA Moscow - kids team), rugby league (Dinamo Moscow) and now rugby union (London Welsh).