What nation would you like to see play Rugby ?

[SelimNiai]

yeah but Indians only do 3 things: cricket, cricket, cricket.
They don't play one single major sport, though they have tremendous resources now, and kind of a good demography to pick from. Basketball, football, you name it. Sports just are so far from their culture.

I'd say the Patans (Pakistan), those rugged ogres from the mountains, would make some pretty awesome tight forwards.

Saying Cricket isnt major, especially to Indians could be one of the funniest things youve said. To change the phrase of Bill Shankly "Some people believe (cricket) is a matter of life and death, I am very disappointed with that attitude. I can assure you it is much, much more important than that"

Its the reason why hardly any other sports have taken off becuase they are obsessed with it and have sucess in it.

 

[profitius]

Spain is a team that could be worth watching. Rugby should be well known in parts of Spain since Biarritz played many games in the Basque region of Northern Spain and Perpignan played a few matches in Barcelona, a Catalan region. Those matches were well attended too! Spain also has many French players qualified to play for them.


Another team Switzerland also have many French qualified players playing for them.


The key for all these developing nations is 1) start getting rugby players in at a young age and 2) get more rugby on TV and in the written media.


Africans are built differently which allows them to run faster. For instance they have narrower hips and smaller calf muscles. Thats good for speed but not for grunt work. The beauty about rugby is theres room for all shapes and sizes!

 

[SelimNiai]

When I was in Prague in 2006 I went to see a Slavia Prague game. Was a decent crowd, a few hundred there (which for a November morning in the rain isnt bad) and the standard of rugby was good. Certainly theres a base there but will never overtake the likes of Ice Hockey and football in that city in particular but I think they could, with the right players and coaches, be mantioned in the same breath as Portugal, Romania etc

 

[Big Ewis]

Saying Cricket isnt major, especially to Indians could be one of the funniest things youve said. To change the phrase of Bill Shankly "Some people believe (cricket) is a matter of life and death, I am very disappointed with that attitude. I can assure you it is much, much more important than that"

Its the reason why hardly any other sports have taken off becuase they are obsessed with it and have sucess in it.

Hey, ho, ****, me, whaoooo!! Stop right there; Cricket.. not a major sport!?! Well, ****. CRICKET!?!.. C'mon!

Sorry for the wasted time, I meant Indians don't play a single major sport besides cricket. I know cricket is a major sport, guys...

 

[Da Grappla]

Lebanon has (old dated) only four olympic medals; wrestling, wrestling, wrestling and weightlifting. Samir Bannout won Mr Olympia once.

Had you ever been to Lebanon or Israel, you wouldn't say palestinian/lebanese are physical jokes.

And to Spain...well, rugby was regarded for the main goverment agency of sports two years ago as the only sick in the hospital. The first international match of Spain, was against Italy in 1929. Spain defeated the italians 0-9 in Rome. Was a popular sport before civil war broke in 1936, as were boxing and bullfighting. After the war, a less violent/agressive society turned out and association footbal became the main sport. An absolute fever right now. Most times "sport" in the news is just football unless a spaniard does well (Nadal, Fernando Alonso, etc) at other sport.

Hanball receives the big guys around here. Despite having achieved (both clubs and national team) international success, doesn't get enough crowds and sponsors to make it a profitable sport for clubs. Liga ASOBAL is nowhere near to Hanball Bundesliga, which also gets the big german boys. France is a rare oddity...handball and rugby are popular and succesful.

It's a sad thing people just don't like rugby in my country. Even the ones who get the rush for it, aren't usually exposed to it until college. Exceptions have even played in the premiership or top14 like Cesar Sempere, Pablo Feijoo and Oriol Ripol. We need to grow forwards on our basque side like Harinodorquy.

Yes, yes...I'm greedy, but a good rugby team and a good refereing at basket olympic finals should be 'nuff.


But...yes, the things are changing and schools are sprouting little by little.

 

[Big Ewis]

Dude, I've lived in Qatar almost my whole life, I know Lebanese people as well as French people. Trust me, Arabs around the Gulf region/Shami region (Leb, Syr, Pal...) are NOT interesting specimens.
And "Israelis" ? What is an Israeli today physiologically ? He can be Ashkenazi, Sefaradim; Ukrainian, Russian, Middle Eastern, Arabic, whatever.

And yes, the story of Spain and Rugby has always intrigued me. How does this country play so little Rugby, when right across the Pyrenees is the biggest Rugby battalion in all of continental Europe ? Right there, even the Basque country...we even have a 'Catalan' region ourselves in France, Perpignan is at the very, very border. Amazing how after you pass the border, 10 min later in, there's ZERO Rugby all of a sudden, or at least very very little.
Also the fact that Spain are highly successful at many sports, you'd imagine they'd have a good hand in such a major sport as Rugby Union...but no.

I don't think it'll ever come, will it ? It's just not a cultural thing...what do you think ?

 

[Da Grappla]

Dude, I've lived in Qatar almost my whole life, I know Lebanese people as well as French people. Trust me, Arabs around the Gulf region/Shami region (Leb, Syr, Pal...) are NOT interesting specimens.
And "Israelis" ? What is an Israeli today physiologically ? He can be Ashkenazi, Sefaradim; Ukrainian, Russian, Middle Eastern, Arabic, whatever.

And yes, the story of Spain and Rugby has always intrigued me. How does this country play so little Rugby, when right across the Pyrenees is the biggest Rugby battalion in all of continental Europe ? Right there, even the Basque country...we even have a 'Catalan' region ourselves in France, Perpignan is at the very, very border. Amazing how after you pass the border, 10 min later in, there's ZERO Rugby all of a sudden, or at least very very little.
Also the fact that Spain are highly successful at many sports, you'd imagine they'd have a good hand in such a major sport as Rugby Union...but no.

I don't think it'll ever come, will it ? It's just not a cultural thing...what do you think ?

I do know you live in Qatar (is openly displayed haha) but you shouldn't make an impression of lebanese and palestinian out of skilled or unskilled workers there...look at the syrian war or palestinian/israeli clashes and you wouldn't see any difference between that and egyptian riots. How come gaza people are from a total different stock than egyptians?

Israel, as I said before, has enough money and good climate as well as russian/baltic/polish/argentinian guys to build a good team. Late news...just seen it, http://diariojudio.com/noticias/organizan-partido-de-rugby-entre-israelies-y-palestinos/40210/ 60 palestinian and israeli children will play a rugby match. A well intentioned, worth for nothing (sadly), effort. So there's movement there at least.

I think is a cultural thing but I won't get into the details so not throwing stones to my glass ceiling (Spain) at broad daylight hohoho...By the way, it would easy for you to make diagnostics; those valours, features, whatever a nation should have to enjoy rugby, we lack them as a people. Just it

 

[Big Ewis]

I know it's displayed I currently live in Doha silly, I'm just adding the information that I've LIVED HERE ALMOST MY ENTIRE LIFE.
And they aren't any different here from what they're like there in their own lands. Just trust me, not great for sports, trust me man. Or at least not nearly interesting to mention on such a thread, "what nation would you like to see play Rugby". Trust me dude, I mean come one, I've lived here a looooong time dude, I really really know for a fact. I mean some workers have beefy forearms and all that, but we are talking sports here...

And of course you'd see a huge difference between Middle East Arabs and Egyptians. Egyptians are just a lot stronger, thicker and more athletic...just that's the difference.

Well it's still interesting to speculate as to why Spaniards just aren't into Rugby. I don't know nearly enough to give a "diagnostic". I'd have imagine that through this very colorful, loud, festive nature of Spanish culture, and the fanatical love of sports, Rugby could find its place...but, no.
What's strange is one could say 'well the Spaniards found football and never looked for anything else because it took up all the space'. But France, England or Argentina for example are all football-first, football crazy nations - everybody talks about football all the time, and yet there's a whole lot of room for Rugby still.
So I just dunno for Spain..

 

[ratsapprentice]

Handball is so ridiculous... It's a couple of notches up from dodgeball IMO.

 

[Aedaphon]

Spain is a team that could be worth watching. Rugby should be well known in parts of Spain since Biarritz played many games in the Basque region of Northern Spain and Perpignan played a few matches in Barcelona, a Catalan region. Those matches were well attended too! Spain also has many French players qualified to play for them.

And on that note, the Basque. I have not researched why and this could just be anecdotal but they are freakishly strong.

And when you've got Imanol Harinordoquy to back that you know I'm not just kidding about.

 

[Superalexmarket]

Jamaica: Imagine some guy like Usain Bolt playing as fullback, running 70 m with the ball, evading people like they were posts.
Brasil would be interesting if they play a good rugby too, and we can have our south american classic in Rugby, like in all the other sports that we play vs the brazilians.

 

[Nielsch]

Some classic chirps here guys and an interesting topic, Big E.

I actually have quite a few;

1) Netherlands; so close to the 6N action (okay so Belgium is a tad closer) and with so many of us rugby loving Saffa's readily avaible through passports and/or the grandmother/father rule it would probably be quite easy to develop if there was any form of interest. If I had the money I'd for it on a if-you-build-it-they-will-come basis as I think the Dutch love sport in general and initial success could potentially see rugby take off. Germany are in much the same boat here and a Germany vs France or Germany vs England match would be amazing.

I truly doubt young Afrikaners would still qualify for the Netherlands through the grandparent rule. Maybe I'm wrong but most Dutch settlers in South Africa have been there for more than 3 generations right?

 

[Da Grappla]

Jamaica: Imagine some guy like Usain Bolt playing as fullback, running 70 m with the ball, evading people like they were posts.
Brasil would be interesting if they play a good rugby too, and we can have our south american classic in Rugby, like in all the other sports that we play vs the brazilians.

Not gonna happen...brazilians have embraced, as individualists they are, Jiu Jitsu&MMA as national contact sport.

 

[TRF_heineken]

I truly doubt young Afrikaners would still qualify for the Netherlands through the grandparent rule. Maybe I'm wrong but most Dutch settlers in South Africa have been there for more than 3 generations right?

Most of us are now the third Generation...

Me and my brothers are actually in the process of getting a dutch passport.

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

I truly doubt young Afrikaners would still qualify for the Netherlands through the grandparent rule. Maybe I'm wrong but most Dutch settlers in South Africa have been there for more than 3 generations right?

Well, myself am out as mine have been in SA for yonks but you'd be surprised, in the Cape particularly (I'm not orginally from here) I'd say more of my firends would qualify through a grandparent than not.

 

[TRF_heineken]

Well, myself am out as mine have been in SA for yonks but you'd be surprised, in the Cape particularly (I'm not orginally from here) I'd say more of my firends would qualify through a grandparent than not.

I think there are a significant amount.

There was a big contingent of Dutch immigrants that came to SA during WWII. My Grandfather was one of them. He once told me that the ship he was on had at least 5000 People on it, and a lot of them were young men and women trying to get away from the war.

My Grandfather settled in Middelburg in Mpumalanga where he worked for my Grandmother's uncle in a bakery. And he then married her. My Dad's cousins are all still living in the Netherlands, and one of them has written a bunch of books on Java. and the other cousin is a Lawyer who is helping us get our passports. The only thing the Dutch embassy needed from us, was my grandfather's original birth certificate. Luckily my Dad still had it.

 

[TRF_Ezequiel]

I truly doubt young Afrikaners would still qualify for the Netherlands through the grandparent rule. Maybe I'm wrong but most Dutch settlers in South Africa have been there for more than 3 generations right?

Of course there are people who've been in SA for 3 generations or longer, but there's also a lot of Dutch (and other nationalities) people that moved to South Africa in the early 1900's to escape the problems in Europe. My ex wife has a grandpa who was born in Denmark for instance. It's definitely something worth looking into.

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

Well, there are many like you, I know. Most of my friends here are 3rd generation Dutch and not just because of the war. The most recent ancestors I have outside of SA unfortunately is an impovirished Irish lord but that is 4 generations back (surname was Leonard). Other than that its all Dutch (the guy I got my surname from left a wife and 14 children in Gelderland in 1658 and married here and got another 10! Crazy.) and German vryburgers, French Hugenote ('original' and part of the Trek) and one oddball Scot.

Are you getting a passport just because you can or are you planning to move? What would a person like me have to do to get a Dutch Passport, do you think?

 

[Nielsch]

I had no clue so many Zuid Afrikaners would still qualify that way. Wow, maybe we should start a development team in the Vodacom Cup like the Argies did.

 

[TRF_heineken]

Well, there are many like you, I know. Most of my friends here are 3rd generation Dutch and not just because of the war. The most recent ancestors I have outside of SA unfortunately is an impovirished Irish lord but that is 4 generations back (surname was Leonard). Other than that its all Dutch (the guy I got my surname from left a wife and 14 children in Gelderland in 1658 and married here and got another 10! Crazy.) and German vryburgers, French Hugenote ('original' and part of the Trek) and one oddball Scot.

Are you getting a passport just because you can or are you planning to move? What would a person like me have to do to get a Dutch Passport, do you think?

We're getting the passports because we can. Sort of a contingency plan for incase the paw-paw hits the fan...

it's actually my little brother's idea. He was in Utrecht and Amsterdam last year for work, and then took a holiday extension for about a month. And he wants to go and live in Utrecht... He's 2.02 m tall, and plays lock for our local club. So he could become part of Nielsch's plan...