Wednesday, September 19, 2007

Rugby. Why?

Recently I paid a visit home and spent the weekend hanging out mainly with my sisters (both younger) who are very active and into running, squash, hockey etc. However the sport which they are most involved in is rugby. And since there is some big rugby tournament type thing on at the moment and everyone seems to be talking about rugby all of a sudden I thought I might as well give my tuppence worth on the subject. In case you hadn't guessed, I am NOT into rugby but my sisters were playing a match while I was home so of course I went to cheer them on-what a mare! (sorry, rugby talk makes me go into Ross O'Carroll Kelly mode!) I was completely terrified for the duration, towards the start of the match a girl got her nose broken and there was blood pouring down her face. Nobody batted an eyelid they were more concerned trying to figure out what sub to put on in her place. Then towards the end of the game another girl was thrown to the ground and blacked out for a few minutes. Then she came round asking what had happened and did they get the ball, then she got up and went on playing!?!? Ida been ringin a freakin ambulance! AND this wasn't even a proper match, it was just a 'friendly', if you could use that word in relation to rugby!? C. wasn’t too bad cos she was a ‘winger’ and it was her first proper game (I know all the terminology now!!) and wasn’t really involved in the scrums and tackles but P. was. I couldn’t watch for most of it, Id just see her fling herself down on the ground and 10 people would jump on top of her and Id have to look away, then when I looked back they’d be piling off her and and her team mates would then pull her up off the ground!? One of the other spectators actually came over and asked me was I alright, such was the look of horror on my face throughout the game. So what I want to know is how do people do it? How can you voluntarily sign up to take part in something where you know you are definitely going to get hurt and possibly going to end up with broken bones or concussion. If somebody came hurtling towards me with the intention of bowling me over my instinct would be to scoot out of their way in a fairly spritely fashion. How do people playing contact sports overcome their natural instincts and stand their ground, meeting their opponent head on, knowing that it will result in pain and possibly injury? What goes on in a person's mind which results in them thinking that getting hold of some random ball is more important than their personal safety?! I just don't get it roysh!
Ps I had to blog about this here as there is no way I could voice these questions/concerns/opinions to my sisters, they would just beat me up, haha!

6 comments:

  1. I'm constantly amazed that Iused to play Bristish Bulldogs (on tarmac!) as a child- didin't we all? I don't think it is anyone's instinct to run away, lots of people crave violent contact!

    I used to love hte mosh pit too - I got further away from it with each passing year though, til I'm now decidedly at the back of the giig, if I even go.

    I don't understand the allure of fugby wither - I know of one person who died plyaing rugby and anotherwho broke his neck - and a winsome 20 yr old whose knees are ruined already. Worth it? Nope.

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  2. You are the hippy dippy arty one and your sisters are the physical ones, personally I think it's in our genes, some people get a bigger kick out of being scared than others. I think someone like you (and myself) who is afraid to fly and goes through the whole physical discomfort of travelling by ferry is never gonna understand rugby. I watched my boy play soccer on Sarurday morning, he's goalie and a lot of players feet were very close to his head.....I didn't enjoy that too much!

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  3. My granny famously ran onto the rugby pitch and laid into the guy who tackled her son with her handbag - only to discover it hadn't been my father at all, being tackled, she'd been watching the wrng player.

    I suspect this story has been embellished to the point of fiction but it seem s appropriate somehow.

    I'd hate if my daughter was into rugby! yikes.

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  4. I was a complete wuss when I was a kid, and ever since now that I come to think of it. Not that I avoid physical contact, far from it, just the kind that might break my limbs.

    Do girls really play rugby? ;)

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  5. Ok I posted on my sister's account by mistake. She's always feckin leavin herself logged in. And I'm doing my upmost to hide my blog status from her.

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  6. Girls do play rugby. Not me though. I'm not scared of the tackling, I'm just an exercise-phob. Other than walking places I reaaaaalllllyyyy hate exertion. I can watch rugby and love a television screen but that's as far as I'll go.

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