Haha, I play rugby. You actually put wear headgear or put tape over your ears so that you don’t get cauliflower ear.

Oh, and rugby is NOT just for hulking men either. It’s much more violent and equal opportunity than American football.

Rugby is a great sport, I played some in college. It’s really fun, and the not wearing pads keeps you honest. It’s tough, and the players are tough. But as Batak implies, it’s way more accessible than gridiron football. The incidence of minor injuries (teeth, sprains, etc) is probably higher, but I’d bet that it’s lower for serious injury.

Best film about rugby was This Sporting Life (1963) starring Richard Harris , yes the original Dumbledore himself as a younger man, see it if you love rugby.