Is rugby basically (American) football without pads?
No – rugby, football and gridiron are all very different games. There’s a common misconception that rugby is just “American football” (otherwise known as “gridiron”, whereas “football” usually refers to soccer here) played without pads — a surefire way to put your foot in your mouth. The main similarities between rugby and American football are that they’re both running games played with a ball that’s roughly the same shape and size. Although Kiwis just can’t get enough of rugby and the sport is very popular in the UK and South Africa among other places, rugby hasn’t really caught on in North America, yet.
