Ziay!

booksensei

Among the comparisons between American Football and Rugby, I've never heard anyone talk about how bad injuries get in Rugby. In Football of course I can point to say, Joe Theismann or Y. A. Tittle or many, many others that just make folks who saw them cringe. Regale me with tales of rugby injuries that just make your skin crawl, lest I think that rugby players aren't as courageous as the men on the Gridiron.
Addendum:

Blood does not impress me. Professional Wrestlers bleed. I want bonecrushing! I want joints going the wrong way!

Christ, Baseball has killed players, surely Rugby can show me an on-field death or two?

Loto

Well, I'll start with a personal anecdote. First game I played in college I had my head stepped on by my own damned scrumhalf, cleats and all, and was knocked out on the field. I have also personally seen people have their faces cut open by elbows in a ruck, usually right above the eye. Head wounds bleed quite a bit. Another injury I have witnessed was from one of the girl ruggers here, who had her ear nearly torn off and then stitched back on. I'm not even bothering to mention the number of broken limbs, sprains, and their ilk. Also, for some statistics on Rugby injuries in Australia, check the link in the source.

Needless to say, Rugby is a much more violent sport than Football, and it makes it just that much more fun to play.

Edit: Forgot to mention spearing, in which during a tackle a player is lifted by his legs and smashed head first into the ground. It is illegal, but it happens.

Edit: Well, back in the late 19th century, England alone counted 71 rugby related deaths in three seasons. I haven't been able to find a recent count, although I know that deaths do occur. I didn't bother mentioning broken/twisted limbs because they are so common. You know, legs broken the wrong way with the bone sticking out, that sort of thing. I also know from playing that football players can't take a hit to save their lives. They are too comfortable with all that padding. You take it away and they break something or have something broken within two or three games.

Edit: I'm going to keep finding stuff to convince you how awesome the game is! Buck Shelford had his sack cut open during a game by a boot spike, which left his testicle hanging out. Doctors stitched him back up and he played the rest of the game. Link is in the sources.