NRL - National Rugby League - Australia & NZ - Munich

The National Rugby League (NRL) is one of the most popular sporting competitions in Australia and, in recent times, New Zealand, consisting of fifteen teams playing rugby league football against each other.

The fifteen NRL teams play each other in a rotating roster that lasts for twenty-six rounds, typically from the beginning of March through to September. This is known as the regular season.

For more general background information on NRL see:

• Wikipedia - National Rugby League
  

All matches can generally be seen on TV at The Arc International Sports Bar in Schwabing, as well as possibly other Irish Pubs and Australian Bars.

www.nrl.com show all NRL games on the net with broadband. Simply go to big pond gallery and choose which game to watch! The NRL is the toughest Rugby comp in the world. Also the website has a tipping comp with great prizes to be won. Also SKY Sports show 2 games a week starting from Saturday-Sydney Roosters against St.George-Illawarra followed by Sundays battle of Queensland between Brisbane Broncos and the North Queensland Cowboys.

Rugby Leagues State of Origin I will be shown on at The Arc, Schraudolphstr on Wednesday 25th May at 1830.The Queenslanders will be looking for revenge after last years narrow loss to NSW.The first game is in Brisbane on Wednesday at Sun Corp and sold out within hours.With Brisbane top of the NRL and Darren lockyer fulfilling his billing as the worlds best rugby player as well as North Queensland Cowboys having a good start to the NRL season Queensland have been installed as Favs by the bookies.

State of Origin 2 will be shown WEDNESDAY 15th JUNE at The Arc. Time 1800hrs/6 PM.With Queensland leading the 3 match series 1-0 after their try in Extra time in Brisbane, New South Wales will need to win the game in Sydney.With Andrew Johns getting a late surprise call up despite playing only a hand full of games in the last two years.With Brisbane Broncos sitting top of the NRL and with fourth placed North Queensland Cowboys causing a few shocks the Queenslanders will be wanting to make sure they are winners especially after losing the 3rd game last year in Extra time.This is the toughest Rugby game ever of either codes so dont miss it!

And for anyone who doesn't know what league is and is interested in finding out, you cannot do better than State of Origin, great league with massive hits that would send those ladies in the NFL to the broken bits and pieces ward.

many Rugby League players wear no shoulder pads and most no head gear!

you don't really need head protection in rugby league since you don't scrummage properly, ruck or maul. The head protectors allowed by the IRB do little to protect from impacts but do protect from cut wounds and ripped ears.

Head gear is worn in League sometimes to reduce the risk of the head clashing with either the ground or the opponent.Due to the speed at which players clash (there is usually a 10 metre gap between players with most running at full pace on impact which generally aint the case in Rugby Union).American Footballers wear head gear and shoulder pads and usually dont stay on the field too long.Some people on here arent sure of either code of Rugby and maybe are interested in learning more about either code of Rugby.A study in Australia recently reported that wearing head gear reduced the chance of concussion.Personally never have and never will wear head gear.This is not a League v union thread by the way.These go nowhere and mean nothing.

Thought that headgear was worn in League by players who had previously been concussed, and not those who want to prevent it happening. I know that in AFL - ok different sport, but equally as tough - anybody who wears shinguards, for example, is taken out the back and whipped to death.

Only protective gear that I see fit in sport are to do with cricket (I'd hate to take one in the goolies from a Brett Lee delivery), headgear if you've been concussed, and maybe, just maybe, Tiger Balm. Ok, not padding i know, but it protects you from mozzies

Go Maroons, by the way!

Seems to be the smaller guys like Preston Campbell (Penrith Panthers), Jonathon Thurston (North Queensland Cowboys) Rod Jensen (Cowboys) more than the likely big hitters who would be more likely to suffer from concussion like Sonny Bill Williams (canterbury Bulldogs), Adrian Morley (Sydney Roosters), Jason Smith (Canberra Raiders), Shane Webke (Brisbane Broncos) etc.I would say well over 95% dont wear head gear.

Know very little about AFL so cant say.Both are tough sports mate.Depends also where and how you got brought up as know if anybody wheres headgear where i was brought up you would be laughed at but then I know many games where myself and others suffered concussion to varying degrees!Also at lower level Refs miss a few sly shots in the tackle!Also would hate to be seen to go off after an injury occurred in a tackle.

Having played Union here noticed how soft many Germans generally are concerning injury.Australia, UK, New zealand etc the same things are seen as minor compared to peoples attitude here.For Example I broke my collarbone recently but still worked and did most things with in reason.Attitude at work amongst many is a bit of a cold and take time off!

We're going to be showing the 3rd State of Origin Game tonight from around 7pm at The Arc, for anybody interested...

This might seem like a stupid question, but where is the Arc?

Only arrived in Munich on Saturday.. from Brisbane originally so would be keen to see the game.

Address and details to get there are here

It was a pretty stupid question actually considering your previous post had a link to it!

Anyway, pretty convenient to where I am so might see you later then I guess..

First round of the playoffs this week.First game was played yesterday and saw the unfancied Wests Tigers playing in their firstever Playoff game since Balmain and Wests merged a few years ago hammered some peoples dark horse tip North Queensland Cowboys 50-06 at Homebush.Another big crowd of 26.463 saw a Brett Hodgson inspired Wests run hot in the secons stanza after leading 14-6 at half time.

The other playoff games this week sees the following:

Brisbane Broncos-Melbourne Storm (Sat)
St.George Illawarra Dragons - Cronulla Sharks (Sat)
Parramatta Eels - Manly Sea Eagles (Sun)

Andrew Johns makes his debut for English Super league club Warrington who play Leeds today(Saturday 10 Sept).Such is the hype on Johns who is seen as many as the greatest Rugby player of either code that the game is being beemed live to Australia at 5am.Johns will miss the Australia-New Zealand game in a couple of weeks but should be playing for the Roos when they come to Europe