In general, I find the game of rugby to be a very awe inspiring game. It makes my jaw drop how boys and men of all ages participate in this brutal sport. To the outsider, rugby has been called “elegant violence” but to those who play it, it is truly a gentleman’s sport. On the field, you treat your fellow rugger (rugby player) fairly. You still take them out and steal from them but when that final whistle blows, your opponent is your good friends. You go hang out with them and grab food and talk about the game and just life in general. This is very wondrous how one minute you can slamming your opponent to the ground and then the next be laughing with them over a burger. It shows comradery between ruggers everywhere. When my team was in Texas last May, our opponents for that afternoon told us of a good place to eat and how to get a discount and invited us to dinner with them after the game. Also they gave us some water for the game because we were low on water.
One of the greatest examples of this comradery is this 2003 Rugby World Cup semifinal match up between New Zealand and Australia. On the field they despise each other because New Zealand was part of Australia and Australia wants them to always remember that they are the boss of them. They do this by producing some of the hardest hits and some of the best plays ever seen. This game is sometimes called “The Greatest Match Ever Played” because of the sheer skill, hate, and power between the athletes. The reason I think this is so awe inspiring is because they despise each other yet a year later they host the Tri Nations Tournament (a Southern Hemisphere rugby tournament where New Zealand and Australia have friendly competitive matches). This game is a prime example of why I think that rugby is such an awe inspiring game in general.
The fans are also inspiring. They never boo at all. They only cheer louder for their team. Most rugby fans do realize that it is considered a gentlemen’s sport and true gentlemen do not boo. This amazes me because I am used to watching a game here and fans boo all the time at the other team. It inspires me to ask myself “Is booing really a good thing to do?”
I am extremely passionate about this sport and it makes my week when I get to march out onto the field and compete against other men who I know will not make fun of me after the game is over.