Gareth Thomas profile in SI

You could definitely add tight ends and some receivers to that list, Hines Ward would be one that comes to mind.

And you might even want to put in some more athletic quarterbacks in there as a scrum or fly half to direct traffic and set up plays from scrums, line-outs and the back of rucks.

 

GB - you are sounding too defensive. Rugby is a great sport. Compared to Rugby of the past yes it is a power game but compared to football it is still more of a finesse game. From games I've watched kicking is still a big part of the strategy.

I wish US TV showed more international rugby. I would love to see Reggie Bush or Percy Harvin playing fly half. Michael Vick might be a pretty good scrum half - as would Tebow.

 

I am absolutely convinced Jonah Lomu could have played in the NFL as a linebacker, tight end or runningback, he was a physical freak.

I am also convinced that Pro football is by far a more violent sport that Rugby Union or League. The nature of the collisions and the use of pads as armor inflict far more damage than most hits in Rugby. The ruck and mall is super physical and grinds guys but the speed and size of the guys hitting each other simply does not compare.

 

If you tried to make a tackle in rugby the way they tackle in football, you'd be in a wheelchair for the rest of your life.
There's no blocking in rugby. You only really get hit when you have the ball and you're expecting it.
This article does a good job explaining the differences and dangers in each sport:
http://wesclark.com/rrr/pads_and_helmets.html

Simply put, rugby is a contact sport; football is a collision sport.

 

Article is a fair comparison of both games.

 

A friend of mine who played for the national team learned the hard way that he couldn't tackle the same way. He couldn't get over his habit of tackling like a football player.

As for how the game is played, the Bulls (Super 14 team based in South Africa) are beasts. The Southern Hemisphere nations experimented with a several law changes to make the game "more exciting", but it took out what I like about it, the use of the forward pack to dominate a game, which give the backs space to break through the gainine.

The Aussies have to compete with league and the AFL, and think ping-pong (non-stop kicking) rugby is the way to go.