Rugby is a great sport in itself but participation can also improve football performance.  The physicality of rugby and football are very similar.  Both require a high level of anaerobic fitness, functional strength, agility and teamwork.  With the rising  concern over concussions in football and an innate drive to stay successful, a growing number of top-level coaches are implementing rugby-style tackling to improve safety and develop more competitive athletes.  If your coach is not embracing your participation in Rugby, he's probably not preparing you to maximize your athletic potential for college and beyond.

Below are a few successful football programs that are leading the way as well as Pro Football Players that contribute their success to participation in rugby.

Seattle Seahawks - Succeed with Rugby-Style Tackling

Atlanta Falcons - Credit Rugby-style Tackle with reducing injuries
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Ohio State Buckeyes - Switch to Rugby Tacking

​University of New Hampshire - Implements rugby-style tackle to reduce concussions
A Top FCS FB Program

Canton High School (Oklahoma) - Credits rugby in the off-season for rapid success in football.

Sources:
SBNation.com
Sports Illustrated, MMQB
Toledo Blade

​The time is coming for a professional rugby league in  North America to match those of Europe and the Southern Hemisphere (Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa). Recently, Grand Prix Entertainment (GPE) and USA Rugby signed a deal to establish the "Grand Prix Rugby Football League"; a professional 16-team league to showcase 7-a-side rugby leading up to, and after, the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. Similarly, there has been some significant financial and organizational backing to create a "National Rugby Football League" in the not too distant future that will feature the traditional 15-a-side version.  The investment group RugbyLaw has already hired an NFL talent scout to start scouting future rugby talent at the NFL Combine.  Rugby Combine is in the works.  Based on the attendance and TV audience successes of the USA Rugby Sevens Tournaments, the Collegiate Rugby Championship Tournaments, and World Cup 15s Test Matches held in the United States, America is on the cusp of seeing professional rugby develop on this continent.  However, as with all new start-ups, it's not a given until we see it.

Internet References
02/07/13 "Exclusive: Could European Pro Rugby Come to [America]"
05/17/13 "NFL Plays Offense With Move Into Rugby"
06/05/13 "US professional rugby union project delayed to 2014"
06/07/13 "Another dream dies as USA ambitions falter"
06/10/13 "Cliff Notes: Don't wear Pro Rugby Hops on Your Sleeve"
08/29/13 "Pro Rugby in America"
09/27/13 "[GPE] Launches America's First [Pro] Rugby League,.."
09/30/13 "Professional rugby sevens league to launch in US"
  National Rugby Football League (15s)
  Grand Prix Rugby Football League (7s)