Rugby Players: What Can They Learn from Other Competitors?

Rugby is one of the world’s most popular sports – and it’s been gaining popularity and started taking off throughout Asia. Thanks to efforts made by bodies like Asia Rugby and unions like the Hong Kong Rugby Union, Singapore Rugby Union, etc, more and more people have access to rugby facilities, training, and competitions than ever before.

A Growing List of Favorites

This surge in rugby’s popularity has happened alongside a few other trends. For example, both poker and eSports have been taking off across Asia and, specifically, in the southeast region. PokerStars is one of the world’s leading virtual poker platforms, and it recently launched its Asia Pacific Poker Tour.

This launch means that local poker players have access to major tours, just like competitors in Europe and North America do. The APPT travelled to Cambodia and the Philippines ini 2023. Next year in 2024, the tour will expand to include brand-new locations. Similarly, major eSports competitions have also focused on the Asia Pacific region—especially mobile tournaments.

Mobile Legends: Bang Bang is officially the world’s second-most played game, according to eSports Charts. This game alone offered almost $5 million in payouts in 2023. Similar to poker tournaments, there have been huge Mobile Legends events throughout the region, including in Malaysia and Indonesia. In fact, the World Championships have been held in Southeast Asia since the original tournament in 2019.

Clearly, there’s plenty of interest in competitions throughout Asia – but let’s move back to rugby. Because the game is so physical, it might not seem like there are any crossover examples between rugby and non-physical games like poker and Mobile Legends. Still, there are a few unique examples of skills that rugby players can carry over. Let’s explore.

Mental Agility

The action moves quickly on the rugby pitch, which demands that players keep their bodies moving while also thinking quickly. While it might not seem so important when compared to strength and agility, thinking quickly is a vital component of the game. It allows rugby players to break down how the game is moving and get ahead of their opponents.

But developing mental agility doesn’t necessarily require rugby players to suit up for practice. Games like poker, as mentioned above, ask pros to observe every single move played – and, on top of that, try to read the minds of their competitors. This helps foster both quick and accurate thinking—no matter what type of challenge a person is facing.

Playing Up Strengths

Fast and physical games like rugby require split-second reactions. Players must have strong visual skills in order to track each play. But when we talk about ‘vision’, we’re actually referring to the ability to read the pitch and each play – which involves an element of creativity. A creative approach might shock the average rugby player or coach, so let’s dive a bit deeper.

Mobile Legends is a MOBA game that pits multiple teams and players against one another. One reason why this mobile game has become so popular is its varied and dynamic characters. Players can choose from 100 characters, each of which has their own unique style, moves, strengths, and weaknesses.

A truly elite rugby player should be just as familiar with their own skills and weaknesses. By knowing where they excel and where they must improve, players are able to play up their strengths and bring a unique skill set to their squad—just like in a MOBA game like Mobile Legends.

The Secret Ingredient: Mental Fortitude

Lastly, one of the most straightforward ways in which rugby players and non-athletic competitors align is the need for mental fortitude. This skill is what separates winners from losers – especially when a game goes awry early on. Poker players must prevent themselves from tilting, while Mobile Legends pros must stay similarly optimistic.

And rugby players must know how to toe the line even when the points start stacking up. Skills like playing up strengths and mental agility don’t mean anything if competitors start to get angry, upset, or discouraged from early results. That’s why, for just about any type of contest, developing mental fortitude is hugely important.

This is an invited post not written by Rugby Asia 247.