Rugby is like chess, league is like checkers

 
The Crowd Roar Guru

By Ian from NZ, 26 Nov 2008 The Crowd is a Roar Guru

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Anthony Tupou tackled by Darren Lockyer and Justin Hodges during the NRL Round 27, Sydney Roosters v Brisbane Broncos match at Sydney Football Stadium, Friday Sept. 12, 2008. Broncos won 24-16. AAP Image/Action Photographics, Colin Whelan

Checkers is a game where the pieces do the same thing, and in rugby league, all the players do the same thing: they take the ball up and on the tackle they put the ball through their legs and start again.

There are no lineouts or mauls.

Sure, running the ball up has a different degree on demand between the forward and backs. But not much.

To stop one team having all the possession, there is a six tackle count, as the game does not allow more contests to see possession change hands. The rugby league player, if lined up in a police lineout, would all have the same physical design.

Chess is a game where the chess piece does very different things.

The array of very different abilities of each chess piece allows the chess player to be very creative when it comes to playing tactics. Chess has more structure than checkers, and union has more structure than league.

And it should remain so.

Rugby union can be broken down into combinations: front row, back row, loose forwards, back of scrum, centre field, and back three. These combinations perform as units within the structured game, performing specialised roles, with specific skills and body shape.

If rugby administrators break the rule that ‘rugby is like chess, they will have a hybrid game that is somewhere between checkers and chess. A hybrid game will see rugby lose its hard won identity, and the marketing boys will tell you that to have a good brand, you need a distinctive point of difference from the competition.

Iggy Pop once said: “Death kills you, but death doesn’t kill you. Boredom and indifference kill you.”

This quote highlights that rugby union’s greatest sin is to be boring and indifferent.

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