I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings with my comments. Yes, Rugby is relatively easy to pick-up and relatively easy to master. I played rugby for two leagues in Boston and for a league in DC, total experience was probably 8 or 9 years. I picked it up after graduating from college, where I played football at the I-A level for 5 years and lacrosse at the club level for 2 of those years.

I believe that this perception may be supported by the author's comment: While it can take years to learn many of the nuances of rugby, it is not unheard of for a new player to step in and make an immediate contribution.

All of the sports mentioned above are team oriented, my objection was to the comment that football and lacrosse are primarily focused on a few star players, that just isn't the case. You can rely on the actions and athleticism of one or two key players in rugby far more than you can in lacrosse or football.

So, have you played all of these sports at a competitive level or are you just being a difficult rugby player who feels that this is the hardest hitting and most competitive sport in the world? I know a couple of ultimate frisbee players who may disagree with your limited point of view.

Thomas - Rugby is not anywhere near as physical as football, the amount of force, speed, severity, and strength involved in football are not seen in rugby. A well conditioned football player is not usually able to adjust to the lower impact and lack of force present in rugby games. There is something to be said for helmets and shoulder pads, but ask anyone who has played football, they only work to distribute the force enough to keep you from getting seriously hurt. That much force placed against an unprotected body would easily break bones and cause severe contusions and concussions. To think that a football or lacrosse team is made up of only a few star players exposes your ignorance of the sport. These sports require a level of team work that is not seen in rugby, which is far more unorganized than either of the other sports.

You are obviously very knowledgeable about rugby but uninformed about the sports that you compare it to. I suggest you play lacrosse and football a few times before making ignorant comparisons. I have played all three sports, as well as soccer, baseball, and hockey at various levels, and I can say that rugby was probably the easiest to pick up and master.