Dangerous sports around the world

You might have to be crazy to try out some of these sports…

Rugby has long been seen as a rough game, with crunching tackles and, er… nipple tweaking. That could all be about to change though, as World Rugby chief medical officer Martin Raftery says that the sport must take steps to become safer.

The suggestion comes as concussions have become more and more rampant in the modern game, having risen dramatically in England by 59% in one season.

Following this news, I decided to take a look at daredevil countries around the world which partake in some of the craziest, most dangerous, and sometimes downright daftest sports in the world.

Everyone outside the UK thinks we're all a little bit barmy, but the truth is you just don't GET us. Who wouldn't want to fling themselves down a ludicrously steep hill, risking arm and leg, all to lay claim to a wheel of cheese? The good people of Gloucestershire, England certainly do, and only a few limbs are broken in the process... Worth it, if the cheese is as Goudas they say it is...
Next up we have Irish hurling. Imagine a rugby player inviting you to a game of hockey, then proceeding to beat you mercilessly with the stick until you admitted defeat and you have the general idea. The sport is played with 15 players on each team, and the ball is known to travel at up to 100 miles per hour...
The Running of the Bulls is an annual event that takes place in the Spanish city of Pamplona, and it's as ridiculous as it sounds. Once a year, human and bull take part in a strange race across town, resulting in gouges and, this year, 7 deaths. Not for the feint of heart, but sure to wake you up from your afternoon's siesta...
Any sport that can be associated with Genghis Khan is always going to be a bit cracked and crazy. Well, welcome to the world Buzkashi, the national sport of Afghanistan, where two teams mounted on horseback spend sometimes days on end booting and whipping each other as they fight over a dead goat. Yep, the aim of this game is to battle it out for its carcass, which is used as the game's 'ball'. How edible it is after such treatment is up to the players...
'El juego de la pelota', or 'the ball game', is the deadliest sport of all. Originating in Ancient Mesoamerica, this Mayan game involved the impossible task of getting a 4kg rubber ball through a tiny hoop without using your hands. The injuries likely sustained from this pale in comparison to the fate that awaits the loser. Keeping in tradition of the times, the captain was often sacrificed to the gods. If you happen to be anywhere in that region though, don't worry - we're pretty sure that rule isn't upheld anymore...

[Images: Michael Warren, Seaninryan, Baltasar García, Peretz Partenksy, Sputnik]