Rugby - Why is not Pak playing this game

[Gibbs]

Don't be silly. We played rugger from the year of our founding, in 1836. In Calcutta, the others who played were the Armenians (horrible hard nuts to crack), the Calcutta Police and CC&FC (when the CFC merged with the CCC, the Clubs funds, held in silver rupees, were melted down into the Calcutta Cup, which is still played for between England and Scotland). Lucknow also plays; since they had, under the UP Board, classes up to Class XII, and since they were notoriously prone to take two years where we thought one should suffice, we faced the very nasty prospect of facing chaps twice our weight and several inches taller, and absolute savages in the scrum, not to mention their belief that liniment was to be imbibed internally, not merely rubbed on. There are clubs in Bombay/Mumbai; one of the better players is the well-known Indian actor, Rahul Bose, who started playing while he was in Sydenham College. The Mumbai Police also plays, and several other teams besides. It isn't a possible people's sport, but it is played.

As for cricket, as far as I know, the Brits first played a game between Madras and Calcutta. Don't know much about it; many of my friends played both, or either, but these weren't my games.

Yes British India was the first to play Rugby outside Britain isles itself but it didnt last long because it was played exclusively by the British colonists and visiting servicemen from the commonwealth.. Rugby was never adopted by the natives.. Since independence only a handful of elite clubs played the game mainly the Bombay Gymkhana and two other sin Culcutta and Madras.. Not until the early 90's did Indian Rugby revive mainly due to as you rightly mentioned Armenian migrants who kept the game alive for most parts, And surprisingly even in Armenia it never took off unlike Caucasian cousins in Georgia and Southern Russia, Georgian national sport is rugby

The only place in the sub continent that Rugby took hold was Ceylon (Sri Lanka).. Because the native Ceylonese took a liking the game and now is the most popular game in the country domestically.. You find thrice as many crowds at domestic games in the island than at a test or club match of Cricket.. Sri Lanka was a Asian power house in Rugby till the 2000's.. Now it ranks 4th in Asia both in 7's and 15's after Japan (70% foreign born players inc captain and VC), Hong Kong (Exclusively Brits with residency in HK) and Korea and 45th if i'm not mistaken in the World

 

[denel]

Sad due to the obsession with cricket....The damage this has done to other sports in Pakistan is unmeasurable.
Pakistan doesn’t even have any world class talent anymore in wrestling....

i concur, hockey and squash themselves are a distant shadow of their former glory. It is just so tragic.
We used to watch when we could find vhs of jahangir/jansher play to learn from.

 

[Joe Shearer]

Yes British India was the first to play Rugby outside Britain isles itself but it didnt last long because it was played exclusively by the British colonists and visiting servicemen from the commonwealth.. Rugby was never adopted by the natives.. Since independence only a handful of elite clubs played the game mainly the Bombay Gymkhana and two other sin Culcutta and Madras.. Not until the early 90's did Indian Rugby revive mainly due to as you rightly mentioned Armenian migrants who kept the game alive for most parts, And surprisingly even in Armenia it never took off unlike Caucasian cousins in Georgia and Southern Russia, Georgian national sport is rugby

The only place in the sub continent that Rugby took hold was Ceylon (Sri Lanka).. Because the native Ceylonese took a liking the game and now is the most popular game in the country domestically.. You find thrice as many crowds at domestic games in the island than at a test or club match of Cricket.. Sri Lanka was a Asian power house in Rugby till the 2000's.. Now it ranks 4th in Asia both in 7's and 15's after Japan (70% foreign born players inc captain and VC), Hong Kong (Exclusively Brits with residency in HK) and Korea and 45th if i'm not mistaken in the World

Oh, you guys were streets ahead; I wasn't counting you, that's wrong, I know, but mentally, I've always thought of you along with other Seven-a-Side powerhouses like Hong Kong and Singapore; I was taken aback to read about Japan and Korea, till I read your post a second time and realised its the ex-pats! But the Fijians are good, that's what I've been told.

Incidentally, we've more or less covered the same territory as the oarsmen!! (I was CRC myself, when I wasn't riding or playing).

i concur, hockey and squash themselves are a distant shadow of their former glory. It is just so tragic.
We used to watch when we could find vhs of jahangir/jansher play to learn from.

Umm, we could be better, but we're climbing back in hockey. A decade ago, it looked like finis.

 

[Taimoor Khan]

Don't be silly. We played rugger from the year of our founding, in 1836. In Calcutta, the others who played were the Armenians (horrible hard nuts to crack), the Calcutta Police and CC&FC (when the CFC merged with the CCC, the Clubs funds, held in silver rupees, were melted down into the Calcutta Cup, which is still played for between England and Scotland). Lucknow also plays; since they had, under the UP Board, classes up to Class XII, and since they were notoriously prone to take two years where we thought one should suffice, we faced the very nasty prospect of facing chaps twice our weight and several inches taller, and absolute savages in the scrum, not to mention their belief that liniment was to be imbibed internally, not merely rubbed on. There are clubs in Bombay/Mumbai; one of the better players is the well-known Indian actor, Rahul Bose, who started playing while he was in Sydenham College. The Mumbai Police also plays, and several other teams besides. It isn't a possible people's sport, but it is played.

As for cricket, as far as I know, the Brits first played a game between Madras and Calcutta. Don't know much about it; many of my friends played both, or either, but these weren't my games.

Stop exaggerating. How many schools got Rugby teams in India? Live in reality, the facts on ground. Hardly few people and instances do not matter. There are people who play American base ball in Pakistan and the rest just laugh at the mere idea of the game.

Pakistan gave the western world the game of Polo, when the Brits got it from our northern Areas where it is played. Yet in rest of Pakistan, only elite play it mimicking the west, not because of its origins in Pakistan. Sad state of affairs.

Cricket has destroyed the development of other sports.

 

[Gibbs]

I was taken aback to read about Japan and Korea,

Koreans are one of the few unions in Asia fielding full native sides and keeps punching above it's weight.. Japans secret is it's domestic game is huge and based in corporates raking in billions of $'s for them.. Multi nationals as big as Toyota, Nissan and Fuji Industries all have teams in the Japanese premier league, Most International professionals from the Southern Hemisphere nations play there.. Thus Rugby union of Japan can buy the best of the South Pacific talent to play for them.. If you go through the current Japanese team playing and the one at the previous WC, It looks more like a Tongan/Fji combined team than a Japanese one

World Rugby player eligibility rules for international players are made specifically to suit home nations (Eng/Wales/Sco/Ire) and unions like NZ, France and Australia. To keep it's status quo in the top ranks, But lower tier nations have exploited those rules for short term gains but to the detriment of the grassroot development and the spread of the game.. As far as teams go in this WC only Argentina, Georgia, Namibia and the South Pacific islander teams have fully native born players and South Africa with just one overseas born (Zimbabwean).. The biggest names bar South Africa and the Argies are the biggest culprits England, NZ, Australia, France, Scotland and Ireland

 

[Crusher]

We have our indigenous sport called "kabaddi" in urdu but "Kaudi" in Punjabi which people in the villages of Punjab have been playing as their pastime for centuries. No need to "import" another "angraizi" disease like "rugby" when we already are infected with angraizi diseases like "cricket" and "hockey" which had nothing to do with our indigenous culture or traditional sports.

These are highlights of "Kaudi" match between Pakistan and India and show of strength/agility by top Pakistani players Musharraf Javed Janjua and Sajjad Gujjar

We the indigenous people of Punjab are proud of our Kaudi game than that bloody angraizi POS virus called "rugby".

 

[Proudpakistaniguy]

i don't even understand the rules of ruby match..look like they are all fighting for one ball

 

[PradoTLC]

Trillion dollar question, I guess most moms would discourage their kids from playing because of the risks and unfortunately moms are faaar too attached to their kids to let them play this.

It not a game for sissy's. It's a game for men.

ok.....

so it is manly game.. got it.

 

[maximuswarrior]

Football should grow in Pakistan.

 

[Cuirassier]

There are teams in Lahore.

 

[denel]

i don't even understand the rules of ruby match..look like they are all fighting for one ball

Very simple. you must carry the ball; cannot pass forward only backward or same level. you may opt to kick the ball. There is a try and conversion. That is pretty much it. It is ball possession and standing your ground. A lot of pincher movement strategies and fast moving. Time restricted 2 halves.

American football is a kids game in comparison and utterly useless

 

[Pakhtoon yum]

It's Never Really Been Part of Our Culture

Neither is cricket

This really is a mans sport. The ground is a battlefield where warriors collide like gladiators. Only thing missing is axes, blades, swords. Crushed bones, cracking ribs and guts.

And concussions are given left and right with a 90% chance of that player developing mental illness. All for the sake of a "good game"

Absolutely uncivilized

 

[Curious_Guy]

The answer is Obsession for Cricket by people, by media, by state. We used to be good in Field Hockey & Squash and we have destroyed those.
In schools there is passion for football, snooker, basketball and athletics but lack of structure and support discourage them pursuing it professionally