They may be the fiercest of adversaries on the field of battle, but when the final whistle blows, rugby-players forge friendships and learn lessons of togetherness that can last for a lifetime.
We’ve just been through a special time of year where we got to enjoy some much needed public holidays. Time to take a few moments out of our busy lives to come together with friends and family.
It’s was a special time for me as a rugby fan too, as it meant Easter school rugby festivals. I’m long since out of school of course, but the appeal of schoolboy rugby never dies. It’s the game in its purist form, and it brings back such fond memories for me.
My favourite part of high school was being able to play rugby with my mates on a Saturday morning. Win or lose, nothing brings kids together quite like playing in a rugby team and working together for a common purpose. Having played just about every sport out there, I can say that previous sentence without a shadow of doubt.
The friends I made on the rugby field are the ones I shall always have a special bond with, and this is quite understandable for a very obvious reason. Rugby is a form of battle. It’s a tough and uncompromising sport. You need guts and determination to succeed.
Looking back to ancient times, those that aligned side by side in battle were brothers for life. That was their family, and those were the ones that meant the most to them. Thankfully we live in more civilised times, so a game of rugby may be the closest we ever come to ‘war’.
By experiencing a form of ‘adversity’ together, you forget about yourself, your primal ‘tribal’ self is triggered and you function within your collective. This is where ‘working as a team’ comes from.
You could work in an office with someone for 10 years, sit in meetings and presentations with them every week, and you may never be more than work colleagues. Play a game of rugby with a guy, and it’s second nature to share a beer and a chat afterwards.
A few years ago I played in the Cape Town 10s rugby tournament with essentially a bunch of strangers. We were all good friends by the end of the weekend, and even if we only see each other again in 20 years, a bond will still exist that is strong enough to lead to a genuine conversation.
It saddens me to see fewer kids playing rugby nowadays, instead turning to the ‘less dangerous’ laptops and smartphones with their time where ‘likes’ and ‘shares’ will forever be sought instead of high fives and team huddles. Yes, rugby is a tough game to throw your kid into, but the life lessons and experiences to be gained are simply priceless.
We need to be challenged to grow, and as we are fundamentally simple in nature, contact sport like rugby awakens our souls and develops our personality. Rugby taught me discipline, hard work and application. It also taught me social skills that made me the person I am today.
It’s a sport that keeps you humble, it’s helps you learn to work with others, and most importantly it brings you together with people.
Playing the game may be a young man’s endeavour, but as life goes on you can still enjoy it as much by watching a live match with friends, or having a braai at home to enjoy an away game.
Rugby was thankfully a part of my childhood, but it could just change your life for the better at any stage of the game.
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