Jacob Levy won’t be able to count on little Benjamin to suit up for the rugby match even when he’s 16 and big (and chances are that he will be big) — at least not if I have anything to say about it.
UPDATE: Rory Miller writes:
Prof. Volokh-
Many people think of Rugby as an exceedingly rough and dangerous sport. However, the instance of injuries as a result of playing Rugby are, in fact, far lower than those sustained in American Football, and are generally similar to that of Football (soccer). The reason for this, first and foremost, is that any of the padding worn by American Football players is not for defense, but for offense. A secondary consideration is that the other side is also without pads, which moderates a large amount of dangerous behaviour. Finally, the rules, unlike in American Football and many other contact sports, as they do not limit the number of times a player/team may be tackled before surrendering the ball, do not encourage situations that exacerbate injuries, such as fighting for the last yard.
A simple example, from personal experience. American Football players are taught to tackle straight into the target’s chest, often including significant pushing with the helmet. This is simply asking for neck injuries. Additionally, no serious rules are in place regulating the technique, leading to many dangerous tackling forms, as well as the exceedingly dangerous (due to its unexpected nature) blocking tackle. In contrast, Rugby players’ tackles are done at the shoulder, usually against the target’s legs, allowing that person’s momentum to complete the tackle, rather than attempting to stop them and force them backwards (again, a product of the lack of “downs” in Rugby). Furthermore, a Rugby player may only tackle the ball carrier, and their form is strictly regulated- you can be ejected from a game for dangerous tackling (using the neckline of the jersey or otherwise going above the chest and/or failure to wrap your arms around the opponent’s legs).
Another appealing aspect of the game is its suitability for diverse player types- there’s positions designed for the shorter, huge brutes with large leg strength (me) (the front row, mostly), the very tall (lock), as well as extremely small, light people (wings and/or scrumhalf, depending on how quick one is). One of my friends from high school, who went on to play top level Rugby for Cal, was 5’5″ and, depending on the stage of his career, between 120 and 140 pounds. . . .
Although I do not currently play, my time as a Rugby team member was one of my favorite times, and I don’t think that you should rule it out prematurely, particularly considering that California (well, mostly Northern California, although it’s making headway in Southern as well) is the preeminent Rugby area of the country, both in terms of championship college teams (Cal, SDSU), strong high school leagues (Sacramento-area and Bay Area), professional, international level competition (the USA Eagles, our national team, play in San Francisco) as well as a vibrant adult-league community.
It’d be like living in Napa and strongly discouraging wine consumption (leaving apart the whole age-restriction thing).
Interesting points — and yet with Ben I’ll err on the side of caution . . . . (Of course, it’s easy for me to say now, when Ben is still blissfully ignorant of such options.)
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