Imagine if a footballer did this?

[Rich]

See - stop trying to draw me in.

They're very different sports - it kicks off in League all the time. And players get fined and banned and its soon forgotten, and having watched many a game at Headingley and at the jungle there's not a toff to be seen.

Assaults also take place on the football pitch - knee high leg breaking tackles but I don't see players hauled in front of the courts. Fined and banned perhaps.

[Shaggy]

Because rugby is crap and no one cares about it.

That's probably it, yeah.

[Red_Polo]

If we are going to talk specifics then - I'd imagine that the bloke doing the punching in the original video will be cited and banned/fined.

So it isn't condoned and it will be punished IMO. Nothing to do with a class of person.

Eye gouging is horrible and is always acted upon.

Don't think it's about the way the sporting bodies treat it though, it's the way it's perceived more widely. There's a perception by the more snobbish union fans that football is for plebs. So when a union player smacks someone in the face, they've been overzealous and it's all terribly silly, but when a football player does it he is some sort of underclass typifying street thug.

People are constantly raked, stamped etc in rugby union with no punishment because it can't be seen, and it's 'just part of the game' to an extent. Yet it's seen as a sport played by gentlemen, all because it's the preserve of a certain class. In England anyway.

[Buzzo]

So how on earth do you explain the ridiculous disparity in reactions?

I think the disparity in reactions is down to the media. Football obviously grabs more headlines and sells more papers therefor any disciplinary act is going to be placed under the microscope. The tabloids will put a good football story on the front and back pages of their papers.

Equally it is presumptive to believe that Rugby Union ignores this kind of behavior, it doesn't. They hand out long bans to players who flaunt discipline on regular ocassions. I'd imagine that the fact is Rugby and other sports are widely ignored in a football obsessed media discussions on these topics are in columns hidden away in the darker corners of your newspaper, or swept over at 48 minutes past the hour on Sky Sports News.

I think you are getting your dislike of Rugby and personal opinions of the sport mixed in with the fact of how these situations are handled. Even the bloodgate scandal did not achieve the column inches it really deserved due to the magnitude of the scandal. That has to be down to a level of general public disinterest, because as you quite rightly say these issues would be analysed to the nth degree if it happened in football.

The press and televised media set the agenda here so if anyone is to blame it is them and the lack of public appetite for a good Rugby scandal that is to blame, rather than social standards.

[Shaggy]

Don't think it's about the way the sporting bodies treat it though, it's the way it's perceived more widely. There's a perception by the more snobbish union fans that football is for plebs. So when a union player smacks someone in the face, they've been overzealous and it's all terribly silly, but when a football player does it he is some sort of underclass typifying street thug.

People are constantly raked, stamped etc in rugby union with no punishment because it can't be seen, and it's 'just part of the game' to an extent. Yet it's seen as a sport played by gentlemen, all because it's the preserve of a certain class. In England anyway.

[Neil Young]

Yeah, I agree with Shaggy and Polo. It's arguable whether class attitudes explain it totally but it's got to be a significant part of the reason.

In this country it always is.

[Imy]

Leicester Tigers

I've seen Tuilagi around Leicester, he's huge - certainly wouldn't want to mess with him

[Daniel 7]

YouTube - The Best Fight In The AFL

This looked like a maniacal gay orgy

[Daniel 7]

Leicester Tigers

I've seen Tuilagi around Leicester, he's huge - certainly wouldn't want to mess with him

Very accurate with the punch as well, tossed him around like a ragdoll!

[Shaggy]

Laughable

spinko64 Alex Spink
Manu Tuilagi banned for 5 weeks. Wd have been 10 but Chris Ashton 'provoked' him by pushing him. Are they serious?

[Fredo]

Video has been removed.

[Rich]

Laughable

Suppose that's sweeping it under the carpet then...

[Hollowman]

I know. He's missing one whole match for his club and a bunch of international reserve matches. **** me. He must wonder what he's going to do with the shreds of his career.

[captainfog]

Rugby is ****.

[Rudo]

Rugby is ****.

It just doesn't excite me or interest me in any way, shape or form.

Football's obv no1 but even Snooker, Golf and Darts i could watch not a problem. Not Rugby though.

Each to their own i suppose.