RUGBY

Rugby- watch or play

It the rugby world cup, there’s nothing like a world competition to get a country to unite and get behind their team. Flags of all nations hang, or are printed on t-shirts, houses, cars, faces, coasters, mugs, computer screens and in some extreme cases, tattooed onto people and shaved into their hair. Anything and everything is done to show allegiance to their country and to feel like a part of the team.

Watch a game with anyone who is passionate about rugby and you will find out how intense a game can be and also how potentially deafening. Supporters turn into coaches and yell criticism and support as they scream at their TV’s to ‘Run son’ or ‘tackle him!’

Watching, the games look violent; there is rarely a game where a player isn’t sent off the field for an injury or a player with blood dripping off their face. This would be enough to deter any sane minded person from playing. There’s more than the violence to this game though. In order to play well, you need to be able to think quickly, work as a team and have fast reflexes and a strong stamina and endurance.

Playing for girl’s rugby is a bit different than the guy’s teams. There’s a lot less media involved and some of the rules are different, for example girls don’t push in a scrum (yes you do “engage” but then you squat there looking like fools as you ruck the ball back). Just because it’s a girls game doesn’t mean it isn’t just as violent; girls are still sent off the field bleeding or with something broken or sprained. Just like when you watch there is the unity as you pull on your team colours and run onto the field at the beginning of a game. Of course it doesn’t hurt to win at the end either.

Reina

p.s GO THE ALL-BLACKS!!!