MY RUGBY BACKSTORY
Post-match in Côte d'Ivoire with Cocody Rugby Abidjan Club (CRAC)
Like most Americans, the only thing I knew about rugby was the movie Invictus, in which the Springboks of South Africa won their home World Cup in 1995, which was a massive moment for racial equality in South Africa. When I moved to the UK, I knew I wanted to watch some matches (little did I know that my curiosity would explode like an algae bloom in the shape of a rugby pitch). I was delighted when I saw the opportunity to watch England and New Zealand play each other in November 2021, though I knew so little of the sport I didn’t even realize it was the women’s teams playing at Franklins Gardens in Northampton. I also didn’t realize that I would be watching the two most dominant teams in women’s world rugby going head to head.
On that crisp autumn day, I was mesmerized by the complexity and grace of lineouts and the raw power of scrums. I had no idea why they happened or what their significance was, but I was instantly in love with the beauty of rugby. England won in a massive blow out, a part of their 30 match win streak up until the 2021 World Cup Finals, ending with a loss to New Zealand.
In 2022, I went on a deployment to Jordan and worked with many different nations, including Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. There was a group that played touch rugby a few times a week, and this was my first experience touching a rugby ball. While I wasn’t that good due to being slow and not knowing all the rules, I still enjoyed the time I spent there and realized I wanted to try full-contact rugby when I returned to England. Shortly after I returned, I did a few Google searches and found Cantabrigian (or Cantabs RFC) not too far from my home. I showed up to a few training sessions, and then got thrown into a match, still not knowing the laws of rugby (or even what my position was).
But I learned who on my team I needed to follow and put my heart fully into the match. After 80 minutes, I was fully hooked and left wishing that I had picked up a rugby ball much sooner. It had so much that I loved about the sports I played growing up: the grit and grind of wrestling, the team camaraderie of American football, plus the new experience of having a role in every bit of the game. Unlike in football where each player has a small sliver of tasks, each position in rugby has a role in catching, passing, running, and tackling. To an extent, it’s like the jam band of team sports - while there are set plays and structures, players can express themselves and play off of instincts more than a set plan. All these come together and have convinced me that rugby - not football/soccer - is the beautiful game.
