By ellapurnell January 9, 2023 - 1:24am

retro bowl is one of the most misunderstood sports in America. Although rugby is becoming more popular in the United States, the sport remains a mystery to many people. When I tell people I play rugby, they usually have a lot of questions. "Isn't Rugby like football without pads?" and "How many injuries and concussions have you had?" are the two most common questions I get. This blog will primarily address the latter of the two questions. To answer the first question briefly, the two games are not similar except for the fact that tackling is involved. Here is a highlight video for those who have never seen rugby.

To answer the second question, I'd like to begin by providing information about rugby injuries before moving on to the benefits of playing rugby. Most people in America believe that rugby has a high concussion rate, but data from the American Association of Neurological Surgeons shows that the number of visits to the emergency room with concussions in 2009 ranks Rugby 17th on the list with 5,794, while football reported 47,000 cases, ranking second behind cycling.
Although injuries are a part of Rugby, as they are in all sports, what I believe distinguishes Rugby from others is the physical and mental benefits that can be gained from playing. Rugby, like any other sport, provides tremendous physical benefits. Many broad benefits are listed in Health Fitness Revolution, including increased muscle strength, flexibility, an improved cardiovascular system, increased bone density, and the ability to develop greater speed and endurance. According to a more in-depth study conducted by the Rugby Football Union, playing rugby reduces type 2 diabetes and colon cancer by 50%, heart disease and stroke by 35%, and premature death, depression, and dementia by 30%. While all of the physical benefits are significant, I believe that the mental development gained from playing rugby is the most significant.