Great job guys!
However, we need to talk a little bit about Rugby Football before you start saying that "Australian football" is what Danielle is looking for.
Rugby is a worldwide sport, that, currently, right now, at this moment, is having it's world cup. Next weekend, Wales and France, and also New Zealand, three countries that are distinctly not Australia will be in the semi-finals. Australia will also be there. Rugby is an umbrella term for two sports that share some similar rules. These general rules are easy to explain. First off, you cannot advance the ball forward using your hands. So, there is no forward passing, which means that running is much more important. Second, you can kick the ball forward. Third, there are no pads, no headwear other than scrum caps, and all hits are legal except neck hits.
There are two codes of Rugby Football. Personally, I'm a Union man, so I will be more informed about that one, so it will go second. So, let's talk League. League is a game of advancement much like American Football. There are six downs, allowing the team to hold possession. At the end of each down, a tackle is made, and 10 meters are given from the point of the tackle to the start of the defense. This is the most football like rule. So, the game is very tv friendly, it encourages the players to look like Adonises and it's a lot of fun to watch. League might be a good way in for you guys, because it is a pretty game, and it's very brutal, but similar to American Football.
Union is the most brutal, fun, enjoyable game that has ever existed. The only way to lose possession is for the team to lose the ball. If you can contain the ball, you can keep the play going. The players range the entirety of human size, from tiny little prettyboy backs to brutal hard charging forwards. The game is elegance in motion. It's all skill. There is the addition of contested scrums, which means that from time to time, you have two Lincoln Continentals of human beings shoving each other to gain possession of the ball. It's awesome.
So, if you guys want, next Friday, watch Wales v. France on NBC, so you can see some Rugby Football Union played at the highest level. And see if Wales can make it to their first final.
Matt