For the Rugby Players – How Did You Get Into the Sport?

[p.kowalski]

I'm curious to hear your stories—how did you end up playing rugby?

In my case, I feel like I took a bit of an unusual path. Rugby isn't super popular in Poland, so it's not the most common sport to get into. I actually knew very little about it beforehand, but at 30 years old, I decided to give it a shot.

I haven't even played a full season yet, and I'm definitely not the best guy on the pitch—but I'm working on it. Compared to my 20-year-old teammates, I can feel the struggle sometimes, but I'm pushing through.

I'd love to hear from others who might have taken a less traditional route into the sport. Any late starters here? Any inspiring stories to share?

 

[McTallshort]

Ok. I was always ok at sport but was also clumsy. Everyone at my school played and loved football but as much as I enjoyed playing it I never really got it. My primary school practiced at the local park and the dads on shift at the pit (coal mine) would come and tell the teacher what he was doing wrong. My dad was a publican and would also pop down as it was the days of licencing hours. One memory always stands out was one of the star players was going for a goal and I was the defender and clattered into him and watched while he wailed around on the floor and his dad lost his **** on the touch line with my dad. My dad who liked rugby decided I needed to perhaps give it a go. I was 9 and I loved it. Got dirty, bruises and was able to sneak a cheeky half pint behind the clubhouse bar.

Played until I was 16 but Sacked it off in the end because I wasn't growing at the same pace as everyone else and I was going into the army anyway.

Left the army and moved back in with my parents for a bit but they had moved so to make a social circle I went up to the local rugby club and started playing. Have to say it's the best thing I ever did. Great days some great friends, great memories and 25 years on I am working with 2 lads I used to play rugby with.

There is nothing like it. I was working in the Scottish borders last year and went to a local game and ended up having a great night with everybody there. You simply couldn't do that with any other sport.

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

No inspiring stories here. It was the only winter sport option at my school for the first couple of years after which you could play hockey if you really really weren't any good at rugby.

So rugby it was from the age of 10. Body finally decided it had had enough at 37.

 

[Mumbles119]

One evening this short, wide eyed 10 year old country bumpkin was dropped off at the local club on a dark rainy evening. With a 'will pick you up after, off you go". Pretty sure I did not know this was going to happen.

No idea of game, rules, people there, or what to expect. But 33 seasons later I enjoyed all of it, and incredibly grateful for the making of me that rugby provided.

 

[BPM]

Nothing fascinating here. My Dad simply preferred football to rugby. I enjoyed minis straight away and never looked back.

 

[BrokenWing]

Was on work experience with British Gas. Was bored to tears in the office and managed to get the last day out with an engineer. I was waiting in the van, he got in and said "do you want to play rugby tomorrow?"

I said yeah and spent four years there before joining the RAF.

 

[dirty harry]

My story was maybe a little different than some others...

I was a bit of a git at a pre teen, then as an early teen I was drug dealing for a local gangster. A good friend I was in school with, who was a very good athlete, student and person made his dad aware I wasn't being the best high school student I could be.

He started driving me to rugby training, where I enjoyed and excelled at being a bit violent on the pitch. I continued to get I to trouble, but the more trouble I got into the better I was at playing rugby, it felt like I was weak and pathetic in life, bit when I crossed that white line I became worth something.

Long story short, my friends dad may well have saved my life by finding me in a drug den one day when I no showed for school, dragged me there literally kicking and screaming in my underwear, walked me down the long drive of the high school in just my underwear and told me the next time I tried to fail at life he would do it without the underwear.

I tell the story all the time how rugby and my friends dad saved me from a life of crime and failure...

 

[Cruz_del_Sur]

Friends. No one in my family practiced sports and i guess that's why they tried to overcompensate with me. So whenever i began a sentence like 'mom, what do you think about me giving xyz sport a try?', before i could end the line my parents had already registered me at the local club, packed a pair of shorts, socks, a jersey and some booties in a bag and were screaming at me from outside the house 'come on Cruz, we're running late!'. Maybe they couldn't stand me and just wanted me out of the house. Who knows?

I've tried a lot of sports, a LOT. Rugby stuck tho. It's is a rather flexible sport in the sense that there is a some wiggle room in terms of what you can bring to the table. You can get away with being slow, fat, skinny, tall, short, dumb... you just need to put yourself in a position where those drawbacks are not really a deal breaker. Are you slow? Then maybe wing and full back aint for you. Cant throw a straight pass? Avoid playing at #9. Etc, etc.

I did see a huge difference in the camaraderie outside the pitch when compared to other sports. Nothing came remotely close. Not saying it's the most important aspect, but it definitely helped me.

Any late starters here? Any inspiring stories to share?

This one is, imo, very tricky. And the reason is mostly about technique. Tackling is a good example. No matter how coordinated, big or strong you are, tackling an opponent who is coming at you at full speed is something that requires a set of moves that are not that intuitive. At least not for most. You can get hurt, hurt someone and/or leave your team with 14 men quite easily if you don't know what you are doing.
Particularly when it comes to head and shoulder placement. If you don't learn that as as a kid, it can get tricky. Similar things could be said about scrummaging, ruck clearing, etc. There are other parts of the game that are just as technical, but they don't leave you as exposed physically.

 

[mikebrownsauce1512]

I was a bit of a git at a pre teen, then as an early teen I was drug dealing for a local gangster.

Didn't realise you were Jay Cartwright.