Hey guys, Rugby and American Football are totally completely different sports even though they look similar. Neither one is better or worse than the other. Yes, American Football probably(and most likely did) take after rugby, but that doesn't mean that just because they have pads means they are wussies. I've seen extremely hard hits in both sports (like Reggie Bush getting whacked in their playoff game against the Eagles) and many good plays(like for instance when watching a rugby match the other day, and I watched this team work the ball all the way across the field and then score after a guy barrel through several guys from the other team), each sport is different and should be respected as such. It is nice to watch European football sometimes when nothing else is on, and the fact that they have a good solid fan base surprised me, also the injection of NFL players to keep up their fitness level probably adds to competitiveness of the game, and there are many rugby leagues in the states and we even hold an international tourny which attracts some solid national teams (Argentina won the last one I think). As for rugby and soccer to succeed in the US and for American Football in Europe, it is all about how it is portrayed in the media and the interest levels of the people.