[dj_destroyer]

And after Isles, these are the next fastest:

#1 Toderai Chavanga - South Africa -10.27 seconds 100m
#2 Rupeni Caucau - Fiji - unknown time
#3 Brian Habana - South Africa - 10.4 seconds 100m
#4 Takudzwa Ngwenya - USA - 10.5 seconds 100m
#5 Joe Rokocoko - NZ - 10.66 seconds 100m
#6 Doug Howlett - NZ - 10.68 seconds 100m
#7 Shane Williams - UK - 10.68 seconds 100m

All comparable to the top times in the NFL.

[pulledclear]

[edawg]

Almost all pros in their respective sport would dominate even if there is simaliritys. Case in point GSP vs Mayweather in the ring Money May in one in the cage GSP in one.

[TBsp75]

there's no need for comparison. they are all pro athletes who earns our respect.

[dynamite140]

hes okay

[fishmonger]

These two sports are totally different. Its like saying soccer players would beat hockey players in tennis. I played both rugby and football in college and there are similarities and differences. Not everyone needs to know how to kick, punt, and pass. There is a scrum which is comparable to what the o-line and d-line would be in football and pretty much never handle the ball. They are 1-7 then you got 8-15 which are like the backs they handle punt and pass. Tackling is totally different so that skill does not cross over into either sport. I had to learn how to tackle totally differently. A rugby tackle is not a hard bone jarring hit usually. Its designed to take down the opponent and to get back up to make another tackle. Your not selling out to dislodge the ball like football.

So there is no comparison. The build for rugby players are more like all small fullbacks in football and tailback or punt returner types. There are only 2 positions out of 15 that require the player to be large like a lineman called props. So pitting the two against each other doesn't even work. Because punters and kickers in football will not be as athletic as the ones required to punt in rugby. But the kicking and punting would be better from the football players. And who would play in the scrum from football? The lineman? Because after the scrum they need to be able to chase down backs. The fullbacks and tightends? Who plays the backs for rugby? The tailbacks? The punters and kickers? Because they need to be able to run and have punting and kicking skills.

So in conclusion the only real similarity between the both is that both are contact. Football is harder contact but pads are worn. Rugby is not as hard on the contact but pads are not worn. With different body types and skills required for both sports, you can not pit both sports against one another or the players.

[Duff85]

Yeah all this talk about if Rugby players played... etc etc etc gets boring.

Completely different fitness and core skills. I have no doubt many Rugby players could convert and play American Football, just the same as many American Football players could convert and play Rugby. Would they be as good at the other sport? Probably not, but point is all of these guys are very good athletes and if given the correct training they could convert over.

Case in point - a guy named Colin Scotts who played for the University of Hawaii and Arizona Cardinals after being scouted playing Rugby.

[Salmon Steak]

I should watch more rugby

[mikey207]

DJ and others made some great points. I'm an American and a fan of the NFL, but most would struggle BADLY in rugby. You're not stopping to take a breather after every play for 30 seconds, and you have to play both sides of the ball...non-stop.

It seems like Running Backs would/have thrive in 7's (more speed) and linebackers might translate better in League or Union (Correct me if I'm wrong, rugby peeps)

[Lookingtostart]

AFL players have a better chance of converting to NFL, still very hard though. How's Sav Rocca doing?

[Lookingtostart]

This list is quite interesting:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...ode_to_another

There's not a lot of conversions between top-league to top-league, but AFL players do better than most.

[coop]

First of all, you're an idiot. Reread my post. That's not at all what I said. Close... but you fukked up.

Secondly, NFL players ARE NOT superhuman. They run a 40 split a tenth second faster than other 'fast' people... They broad jumped 2 extra inches... Their vert might be a tiny bit better... But if there are any athletes that are overlooked for football, it's European players. So even if you have a freak of nature with insane athleticism that would actually be interested to play "stupid american football" over their more national sport of rugby, they may get overlooked because there's simply less scouting, coaching, and training over there for football. And don't think all these American players were born awesome football players, it took a whole lifetime of training and practice. So take them off the pedestal because if similar European athletes were given the same training and coaching, there would absolutely be European football players. They were just simply trained in another sport.

Third, the pro rugby leagues are VERY competitive. Without pads, players are forced to use better tackling techniques. There is very little stoppage in the game so STAMINA is huge -- NFL players would not last long. Players are also expected to be multi-talented by throwing/pitching, kicking, catching, tackling, returning, rucking, mauling, etc. There is no extreme 'division of labour' where one player only does one or two things.

So back to my original statement: Pro rugby players would fair better in an NFL game against an NFL team than those same NFL players would fair in a rugby game against that rugby team.

The same futile and naive discussion comes up with CFL/NFL. You Americans love your brand so much that you're too stupid and/or blind to see that the majority of CFL players are those that just missed the cut but would rather play pro ball than sit on the bench or play the practice squad. Sure, the NFL team would win on an NFL field with NFL rules but they wouldn't get ran off the field. On the other side of that, the CFL players would fair well or perhaps even win against an NFL team if it were CFL rules and field.

Basically what I'm trying to say is that you're stupid for thinking NFL athletes are gods and could beat everyone at everything.

Thanks for the novel, but you said (in bold),

"BUT, if you asked a pro middle tier football team and a pro middle tier rugby team to play two games, one of each sport, the rugby players would definitely win their game and at least compete in the football game."

My comment "You truly believe a middle tier pro rugby team could compete in an NFL GAME with ANY NFL TEAM?" was what prompted your memoir on life as a complete and total moron.

All I said was that the rugby team would not fukking COMPETE, however you define that, in an NFL game against an NFL team. They would get absolutely MURDERED. This is not even arguable. It has absolutely nothing to do with 40 times and vertical leaps either. If you want to talk about sheer athleticism, the best athletes in the entire world are NBA players, and it's not close.

Also, rugby is fukking gay.

[Big Bear]

Does Peyton Manning even make 15 million a season?

NFL football players dont get paid shit

[CollegePro]

he will not get anywhere close to 15 million..come on now