The first time I watched this clip I thought, ‘What a shame that the RFL has to promote its sport and its athletes in such a gimmicky way.’ Upon subsequent viewings though, I settled on the conclusion that this “behind-the-scenes look at the extraordinary training regime of Super League’s superheroes” is a smart – if wildly figurative – way to sum up what’s so riveting about this sport.
Whatever the case, it’s a fun little vid to watch and certainly demonstrates how tough and strong rugby players are … and how brutal their sport can sometimes be. I mean, oof. Did you know that the average weight of an England Rugby team player is 104kg and his average height is 1.88m. And get this – 20 year old English professional rugby player, Manu Tuilagi, can bench press 190kg. Crunch.
The Super League rugby playoff series pits the best eight teams from the regular season against each other over four weeks of competition to see who’ll be crowned the 2012 Super League Champions. The final will be held SOON … on Saturday 6 October.
But it’s not just about the guys going out there and clobbering each other in the name of victory these days. Participation among women and girls playing rugby has seen a year-on-year increase of 42%. That’s amazing. The game is one of Sport England’s top ten “priority” sports and as a result is receiving significant government investment.
As an expat American, I’m a bit clueless about rugby, but when invited to watch a match I always say yes. And if I stumble upon a game while, the intensely aggressive athleticism always draws my attention. It’s an amazing sport, and I’m looking forward to following the Super League rugby playoffs.
You can find out a lot more at extraordinaryrugby.com and therfl.co.uk.
Sponsored by the RFL
