Rugby, rugby football, or, as in some states of countries like Australia, just football, is a rough-and-tumble team sport using an egg-shaped ball. Often referred to as a thugs’ game played by gentlemen, it has always played second fiddle globally to football (soccer) which is fast becoming a gentlemen’s game played by thugs. However, there are still millions of people who prefer rugby as a sport to play and/or watch. Many of these people proudly wear their team’s rugby shirts on and off the field. The origins of the sport itself are rarely debated, but with the success of football, Wales has almost become the northern hemisphere’s capital for true rugby fans.
In the world of football, Wales has a weak national team and its best two club teams have joined the English leagues, leaving the Welsh league to just about die a slow and lonely death. In rugby, however, there is a very strong following and great national pride whenever the Wales national team play a match. Although it is generally considered that a young boy playing football at an English school in 1823 initiated the birth of rugby, it is also fair to say that Wales has helped to keep the sport alive and popular in the United Kingdom. Because of this, it is probably more common to see a Wales rugby shirt worn about town than an England rugby shirt. If one compares total numbers, it is likely to swing in the favour of the English, but in terms of relative populations, the wearing of a Welsh rugby shirt is more popular, probably for a couple of reasons. Firstly, they are a very patriotic race and like to prove that they are not ‘merely British’ and certainly not English, in a similar way that Canadians are not American, nor are New Zealanders Australian. Secondly, rugby is more popular than football in Wales, particularly rugby union. Rugby league is a similar game, but not followed in quite the same way. Both in the United Kingdom and Australia, there are rugby league series. One is probably less likely to see fans wearing super-league rugby shirts in public and at social events, but the reasons for this are unclear.
Although most of the world’s population are far more aware of football, rugby is still a well-established and thoroughly entertaining team sport. There is much more respect in rugby, both on the pitch and among the fans. Patriotism and football’s lack of popularity are easy to see with so many Welsh people wearing rugby shirts. There is a good market for them and they are nearly always worn with pride.
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