Why is a Rugby ball Greasy?

GFish

Question 1: There is no grease involved so why is a wet ball 'Greasy' - not 'Soapy', 'Slippery', or just plain 'Wet'?

Question 2: Why can't the ball be made less slippery even when it is wet? Sandpaper is fairly grippy even when it gets wet.

Dog Botherer

GFish wrote: »

Question 1: There is no grease involved so why is a wet ball 'Greasy' - not 'Soapy', 'Slippery', or just plain 'Wet'?

Question 2: Why can't the ball be made less slippery even when it is wet? Sandpaper is fairly grippy even when it gets wet.

1. Just a rugbyism.

2. If rugby gets easier to play then the plebs will get into it and we can't be having with that.

pickarooney

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7FsAgPuVwU

feargale

GFish wrote: »

Question 1: There is no grease involved so why is a wet ball 'Greasy' - not 'Soapy', 'Slippery', or just plain 'Wet'?

It's a case of transferred epithet. In soccer in particular it's not the ball that's greasy but some of the people who govern its destiny,

GFish wrote: »

Question 2: Why can't the ball be made less slippery even when it is wet? Sandpaper is fairly grippy even when it gets wet.

Did you ever play a game with a ball that had a sandpaper surface? Believe me, it's no fun, and you wouldn't want to do it unless as a well paid professional.

The Rape of Lucretia

Ever play with a leather ball in the rain. Greasy understates the problem. Bar of soap more apt.
Even with todays ball, grass can make them slippery. Not grease. But grass juice.

GFish

feargale wrote: »

Did you ever play a game with a ball that had a sandpaper surface? Believe me, it's no fun, and you wouldn't want to do it unless as a well paid professional.

But these are well paid professionals ... and they don't play for fun!

A scratched finger? That's Ouchy all right :eek:
but I'd take that risk before I'd risk a serious head or limb injury as these players do, every single game.

You need to do better than that.

BTW - don't get hung up on sandpaper. The point is modern technology can probably make non-slip (un-greasy) balls so why don't we use them?

nice_guy80

even a round gaelic football is very greasy in the wet

just get over it

GFish

nice_guy80 wrote: »

even a round gaelic football is very greasy in the wet

Did you have a point you wanted to make?

BBDBB

Why change it? why not go the whole hog and make it a round ball so that the bounce is more predictable?
As it is, the variation in the weather, pitch, conditions under foot, even whether we play under a roof are all factors that make the game less predictable, as such they are a great leveller, making each game present a different set of challenges

Every player drops the ball and is deceived by the bounce, at some time or another the better players do so less and rise above the rest, that's part of sport and part of what makes rugby so great. If it bothers you then find a game that's more certain and less anguish inducing. I think its better to keep the ball exactly as it is and let the chips fall where they may

.ak

The balls do have dimples on them already that give you grip on the rain.

You can also spray your hands with sticky stuff.

Personally I don't like it being too grippy because it can cause issues when you want to transfer the ball quickly.

FellasFellas

Brand new rugby balls tend to be waxy and need to be broken in. Often teams will have brand new balls that are used all week and then used in the games on the weekend; yet I have seen in pro and amateur games before - brand new balls being chucked on and players having serious issues due to the wax on the ball.

irishbucsfan

FellasFellas wrote: »

Brand new rugby balls tend to be waxy and need to be broken in. Often teams will have brand new balls that are used all week and then used in the games on the weekend; yet I have seen in pro and amateur games before - brand new balls being chucked on and players having serious issues due to the wax on the ball.

Big teams bring a certain number of their own balls I think. Can't remember the exact process.

flutered

GFish wrote: »

Question 1: There is no grease involved so why is a wet ball 'Greasy' - not 'Soapy', 'Slippery', or just plain 'Wet'?

Question 2: Why can't the ball be made less slippery even when it is wet? Sandpaper is fairly grippy even when it gets wet.

here was me thinking it red hot last friday night, thanks op for fixing that for me

.ak

FellasFellas wrote: »

Brand new rugby balls tend to be waxy and need to be broken in. Often teams will have brand new balls that are used all week and then used in the games on the weekend; yet I have seen in pro and amateur games before - brand new balls being chucked on and players having serious issues due to the wax on the ball.

Yeah they feel manky and often stick a bit.

swiwi_

GFish wrote: »

Question 1: There is no grease involved so why is a wet ball 'Greasy' - not 'Soapy', 'Slippery', or just plain 'Wet'?

Because greasy is the word. Is the word that you heard. It's got groove it's got meaning.

GFish

irishbucsfan wrote: »

Big teams bring a certain number of their own balls I think. Can't remember the exact process.

The quota is "up to 2 balls per team member" and the quota is the same whether the team is big or small.

GFish

FellasFellas wrote: »

Brand new rugby balls tend to be waxy

Quit, will ya?
We already have greasy, soapy, slippery and wet - we don't need waxy :eek:.