I think I might be leaning towards league now, after reading some websites.

After reading morewebsites, I'm now on the fence.

I've got an even more basic question, how does someone in the US manage to watch rugby. It's never on TV, unless you want to order it from Setanta Sports at the going rate of $70 a game. I'm guessing you get it online, so what's the best site.

Now, I'm leaning towards Union again. I'm just all over the place aren't I?

@LJ: Comcast Sportsnet California broadcast a National Rugby League (an Australian league) yesterday, and it seemed cool.

Union all the way.

How dare you people even question this :O

Yeah, I'm thinking I'm liking Union more, but league is still good.

Union is the game to play: make the contact and make it hard. Sorry, but league is too much of a half-way house for me. I'm holding onto you, yes I am, look at me, now let go!

Now I'm trying to figure out what position I would play if I played Rugby. I'm tall, but I don't think I'm strong enough to play lock, so how strong and heavy would you have to be to play lock or a back row forward?

Not strong => back

switch to team handball instead. much cooler

@ Figle: I'm not fast or agile enough to be a back. I also cannot kick that well because I can't get my leg up high, so that rules out half-back. And yes, I know I would probably be a horrible Rugby player, but still, how big and strong do you half to be to play Number 8 or Flanker?

Massive. Seriously enormous!
Saw Laurence Dallalieo (spl?) the former England forward in a motor way services a couple of years ago, he was litterally head and shoulders about the rest.
That said, at club level you'd be able to get away with either size or skill. I see your comment, but actually there are some distinctly unsubtle wingers around, who basically are just so big you can't stop them!

Well I'm tall, about 1.89 meters, but very skinny. I would bulk up if I was going to play rugby, but I'd still be a little skinny.

position depends on ur build.....if ur fat or skinny u play a different position- cannot weigh 70kg or 145pounds and be a forward for example- u need to be fat or chunky....

It depends on the level you play at - since you're (probably) not going to be an international player you can get away with an awful lot. I'm 6'2" and played at lock forward, wing, centre, full back (my favourite) and flanker. A wise chap at my club said it all depends on what you want to do - do you want to run or push or fight? I like them all put there's a big difference in a game experience at lock (where you push and push in a scrum and then do your best to get your legs working and run from ruck to ruck pushing people out of the way and only ever see the ball when it flies over your head at a line-out and fullback where you watch rucks from 20 yards behind, join the line at high speed but sometimes only ever see the ball when the opposition fly half hits it into the air above you and it's accompanied by six onrushing opposition forwards).
Good luck and get playing - it doesn't really matter what position.
As for league - I think there's an incredible amount of skill and fitness there and I happily watched it when I lived in Australia but my heart is forever given to union.

you cannot be skinny and "fight" or "push" else u are driven to the ground and end up with some severe injuries... lean/skinny people often make good wingers, especially if they are fast

@Degaulle: I am slow, although I have pretty good stamina.

@Parallel: Well I'd like to play Number 8, so if I ever do play, I'll bulk up a little and try that out.

There was a time when league was a million times better due to the fact it was the professional one, so all the good players moved to it. Now, with the exception of Australia, there's way more money in union, which has in my opinion massively boosted the standard of it above league.
League's at a quicker pace with more American-style hits, whilst union has more general roughness( due to existence of rucks and mauls).
And if you're REALLY conservative then union's your game as league is a northern worker's game, whilst union is a mostly southern public school game).

that explains why all the good league players LEAVE Australia to pursue union careers and then BEG to come back to league when they dont like it

@Parallel: I might also like flankers, so who is generally thinner, flankers or Number 8?

@ Conservative Man - You probably don't want to start right out at 8, or even 6 or 7. Of all the positions on the field they're the most demanding physically and mentally. Not only do you have to play with the forwards and do everything associated with being a forward, (i.e. rucks, mauls, scrums, line-outs, tackling giant pacific islanders intent on breaking your skull, etc.) you have to support the backs too. This means while you don't necessarily have to be fast, you do A LOT of running. From personal experience playing at the high school level, more running than anyone else on the field. Also, while you don't necessrily have to be huge to play 6 & 7, (8's are usually pretty big) you need to be able to hang blow for blow with the biggest guys on the pitch. Loose forwards get the best (or worst, depending on perspective) of both worlds, so I would suggest you start out at something more along the lines of wing. And no forwards can really afford to be thin.

@ Rule Britannia - Rugby without rucks and mauls isn't really rugby.

Well, if you don't have pace you'd probably have to go forward, which is a shame because Outside Centre is great fun

I prefer Rugby Union to Rugby League. We used to play union at school. I played on the wing. I used to live in Queensland, which is a Rugby state (both union and league, but league is more popular). But now that I live in Victoria I have been converted to Aussie Rules. I think it is the superior game personally - more skill and less thuggery.

League is better - less kicking for position (boring), less big oiles of bodies (boring), less sly/blatant cheating (has anyone seen a straight feed to the scrum recently, or a game where there is no punching etc where the ref can't see in a maul or ruck), and more tries.

thats because union guys are high school drop outs;)
tho league ain;t far behind in the uneducated stakes these days either

I'm skinny - I play forwards and like it but it's tough slugging it out with the bigger guys (but if you don't want tough play association football or ping-pong). When I started I was put on the wing (not because I was fast although I can keep up with most of them but in order to learn the game). 8s tend to be bigger than flankers (as mentioned) but all three just have to run and fight and run and fight and run and fight which means you see a lot of action but you need the stamina to keep going.
I wouldn't worry too much about body shape - have a go, see what you like and make your shape work for you. You could always be better by being stronger or faster or both but you can start how you are.

I might be better at kicking than I thought. A website I read said you have to finish with your foot over your head when kicking, which I can't do. But after watching some videos I see that I don't have to do that. So if I can get a ball I might try out some kicking. If I'm good, I could probably be a fly-half.

Being a fly half isn't all, or even mainly about kicking. You need a rugby brain; you need to be a fast, accurate thinker; you need a good pass and a turn of speed. If you fancy fly half then start on the wing and move in.

Wing -> Full back -> Fly

But as he said, fly is about controlling the game not just kicking

I always fancied being a scrummy but I don't have the brain :(

@ Pete U - Without rucks or mauls it isn't really rugby though. Sort of like playing flag football here in America. I have no doubt that tackles are just as hard, but the breakdowns are what seperate a good team from an average team. My side (a high school team) scrimmaged against a college rookie side last year. They weren't that much better than us in open play, but they KILLED us in the rucks, so they beat us resoundingly. Without rucks the game's entirely different.

You did what against them? Is that legal?

@ LJ - I'm coming at it from a spectator's point of view (and a northerner). And League is rugby, just more focussed on handling, speed and tackling than Union is.

whats ur weight pete u?

I doubt you play in Australia else u'd be severely injured or dead. Seriously u need to weight 80kg at the VERY least if not more to be a forward. Weigh a measly 70kg or 145pounds and ur screwed.,.. better being a fullback or winger... unless ur hopeless at running... otherwise- AFL is the sport for you;)