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Comment by wavefunction | Hacker News Reader

Also, I don't see too many 350lb corn-fed rugby players when I've watched compared to American football.

That's because the biggest American football players, while having wonderful explosive power, would likely struggle with the endurance requirements of rugby.

You're looking at the evolution of the sport because of the equipment. If the players didnt wear so much protective gear they wouldnt have to be so big and fast and powerful, as described a few comments above.

That said they cant all of a sudden change the gear but they can evolve the rules to adapt.

This is incorrect. Football players actually wear substantially LESS padding now than in the 70s, 80s, and 90s. Just go look at the pads from those eras.

Players are bigger, faster, and more powerful because that makes them better players. Not because equipment has evolved. It's the training of the athletes that has evolved.

Do they wear less protective gear, or is the gear just less bulky due to improvements in design?

You are right that it is the evolution of the sport, but I think it is driven by the increasing value (Billions of dollars at stake), more than the equipment.

Why wouldn't they be able to change the gear?

I'm not well-versed on the topic, but I'd guess that an abrupt change in protection could lead to more injuries in the short-term.

Ah. That's a good point. I know nothing about football. I just assumed that they could make changes if motivated given the enormous amount of money it generates.

Changes are made regularly, often to encourage player safety. But I think you can only make a game so safe when it's predicated on tackling people.

There are some but in sport agility is super important and technique as well. Mass helps but not as much as good tehnique.

No. But they are getting bigger which is a cause for concern with respect to injuries.

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