Why do other countries play rugby?

Answer 1

The game has gather popularity in the past 100 years and more and more countries are now taking to the game and enjoying the gladiatorial aspect and the interaction of supporters, who (unlike soccer) are seated and standing together.

Rugby is one of several variants of an oblong ball game (US football, Canadian football, Australian footy) as opposed to the round ball used in soccer. These games use the hands more extensively in play.