Its often stated that no matter where you go in the world, when you find a rugby club you will be alright. From personal experience, I would definitely argue that this is true; but why? Why is it that a rugby club is able to make a foreigner feel at home and families feel part of the sport? Whether it’s a Premiership final or a county league game the aggression and the occasional need for policing is left to the referee on the field and never spills out into the crowd. This would suggest that apart from rugby being set apart on the field there is something special happening off it too. I would offer the answer that playing the sport is not enough to qualify as a rugby player; it’s requires a particular mentality as well.
Although rugby started after a complete disregard for the rules was shown and the ball was picked up for the first time the rugby culture is inseparable from the sport. This is must clearly seen by the success of the programs such as HITZ in England, which works with young offenders to turn their lives around, or the likes of Alma rugby in Brazil that is introducing rugby to a country severely lacking it with some of the countries impoverished kids. It is not just these two however; all over the world, rugby is being used as a social template in order to effect change in the lives of those who need of. Perhaps this comes from the nature of the game. Within a sport that requires levels of contact and aggression with little to no protection, respect for the laws is plain and simply a safety matter. With the potential for injuries being high all players must be disciplined enough to play in a way that will not cause injuries or harm to themselves or their opponents when the competitive stakes – the difference between winning and losing – are already so high.
Of course, injuries and foul play happen, but when considered and stacked up against the potential for broken bones and serious injuries rugby must be being played with high levels on discipline for the most part otherwise the sport wouldn’t exist. From this springs perhaps most valuable lesson that can be taught throughout the world; respect for the referee. All too often we see referees abused, pressured and insulted in a variety of different sports, a ugly habit that rugby cannot allow. Not just for the message it sends to the young fans watching but also for the safety of the sport. The moment we lose respect and discipline for the referee, we lose control of the players and as stated above the risks for injury are too high for this to happen.
The nature in which we play the sport is not the only thing that elevates it. The way in which the post-match culture has developed into being the non-negotiable “3rd half” is perhaps just as important as what we do on the field. We cannot pretend that rugby players are always perfect pillars of society, especially on the field where fights and red cards are common occurrences but what we can be sure of is that you will never refuse a drink with your opposite number after the game. In other words this culture that allows the game to be played with aggression and passion is also the one that allows the last 80 minutes to be forgotten and left on the field when it comes to a drink after the match. The idea that you can leave the game on the field is more keenly felt it seems by the fans. With enough aggression and passion being displayed in front of them, it is rare to see or even hear of events involving supporters. In fact, one of the things about watching a game of rugby in a big stadium is the mixing of opposition fans, creating the idea of friendly banter which is displayed by the aforementioned post-match culture.
The game of rugby itself offers a home to those who perhaps had no other sport where they would excel. It is true that in a rugby line up you encounter a complete selection of body shapes and sizes. The game evolved in such a way that being a bit fat was finally useful to a sports team and in fact often essential; it isn’t often that in the same team a lean sprinter would share a changing room with chubby weightlifter. This created a sense of diversity straight away in the sport, which is perhaps where this culture of acceptance was born. Nowadays rugby clubs often serve such as a place of acceptance for those outside of their own country as well; looking for a group of friends and finding it inside the rugby culture. This atmosphere creates a niche for families to be part of clubs, as rugby can offer a home for a player, it can offer a second family to wives, girlfriends and children. This is especially true with the growth of women’s and youth rugby; it is increasingly common to find that every member of a certain family is a playing member of the same rugby club. Even not in a playing capacity clubs will always have space for those wanting to get involved whether it be running the shops or the bar. The atmosphere inside the club for player or supporter has developed into one of community and family.
The final and most easily noticed mentality of the sport is shown through its professionalism. Wage caps, national team selection policies and strong punishments for breaking the games laws have made sure that even at the highest level rugby resembles its roots. This has been demonstrated recently by the cutting of England’s Dylan Hartley and Manu Tuilagi from the Rugby World Cup training squad following disciplinary issues. This hard line shown by the RFU and IRB for discipline issues with long bans and the resulting decision of the England coaching team is but one example of where professional rugby embraces all the qualities that make the sport special at amateur level. The mentality of rugby, and not just the sport makes rugby clubs into home and is responsible for the clubs we see today.
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