What is this rugby that they speak of?

They have drinking songs?

Where has this been all my life?

 

England, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa ...

Basically the British Isles and former colonies that would now be considered The Commonwealth.

 

Except for the India, Pakistan et al., which took up cricket instead.

Can't wait for the World Cup to start. Some of it will be on Versus, including England vs. the U.S. on the second day. Live from France in the afternoon over here, like the soccer WC last year from Germany.

 

I was watching that game with my teammates and I won $50 after randomly picking the player who scored the first (and as it turns out) the only try of the game.

 

Rugby is a great sport but a very hard sport to understand when watching on tv. It tends to look like Kill the guy with the ball. I played a bit with some fine Irish lads who taught me how to play and also how to drink Irish whiskey and guiness.

On an international level game is more one of finess than the american version which is more like football. Kicking is a very important part of game. Some of the guys I played with could put their foot on the ball on dead run and boom it 50 - 60 yds in air.

When you have possession the idea is to get the ball out to the backs. You can only pass behind you . Pass is almost like an option pass in football.

After playing football the hardest part to get used to is 40 minutes of running not stop.

The great Dr Z was a rugby player on a team called Old blue which thinks they are the cats ass of NY rugby.

 

Paging panty-waist Zagoshe ... paging panty-waist Zagoshe ...

I played rugby at two different colleges and a little bit after college.
I have the X-Rays to approve it ... as well as the reoccuring headaches and the exacerbated ADD as a result.
Despite the broken bones, stiches, head injuries and the absence of of a PCL in my right knee, I loved every minute of my rugby career.
The songs, the beer, the mud, the blood ... it was all worth it.
I'd tell some stories but most of them aren't appropriate.
Here's one, though. I took a new girlfriend to a rugby party one night and my teammates were drinking beer out of KFC buckets. Yes, buckets. The girlfriend didnt seem to mind. She just shook her head and laughed instead. I married that girl. 20 years later she's still laughing and shaking her head at my stupid antics.

 

The best time I've ever had playing a sport was this past June when I played in the Old Man of the Mountain rugby festival in Franconia, N.H.
There was guys in their 60s playing.

 

I was invited to join a local rugby team back in my 20s. I was still in pretty good shape and the guy told me I could "really kick some ass out there." Then I noticed his nose was way croked and he was pretty beat up looking.

I was like thank, but no thanks. Last thing I needed was to mess up my face like that, I'm struggling enough

But it was a lot of fun watching.