Who is tougher, Australian Rules, Gaelic Football, Rugby or Gridiron players?
I think it is different kinds of toughness. Rugby and Australian rules without the helmet and pad element have to deal with a lot more exposed contact to the face, etc. There is a certain threshold that has to be met there. As someone who played American football at the college level, and ran a lot of special teams on kick coverages, the toughness in American football is different. You are dealing with insane impact by human missiles and even as a good player you are going to get the short end once in awhile. Different types of toughness, that is all I can really say.
