Rugby Union isn't unknown here -- Rugby Canada has about 30,000 registered players and 1500 registered clubs. About 50% of high schools will have a team. Internationally we are currently 13th in the world -- we play about even with the stronger Tier 2 nations (Tonga, Samoa, Fiji, Japan etc) and regularly beat up on other Tier 2 nations like the USA, Russia and Georgia. But that said, gridiron football remains the dominant game in the football code here. However we have our own version of the game (Canadian Football) which is similar to the American version but does have some significant differences.
American football (Gridion ) and Ice Hockey are the two big team sports in Canada. I don't know how popular rugby union is there but I would say it is a minor sports code in Canada.
American Football...Rugby is still a fledgling sport in the North Americas, which is quite sad. But the Canucks still manage to give some of the best teams in the world a good scare now and then...and they are in the Top 20 so hopefully the popularity of the sport will grow!
Football for sure. Rugby isn't at all.
