Rugby!

[looseplucker]

William, my main bloke, is aged 12 and playing U14s and in his first season playing rugby is but a newbie, and I am a league player and fan (as was he) so jointly this rah rah game has us foxed.

But Saturday when his unfancied Radford College team took on Burgmann was a cracker. Now Burgers are bigger and faster and more talented and Radford have a habit of choking and the boys gobbing each other off, espesh after a soft try. I got in Will’s (the team calls him Taylor) head about esprit de corps and playing positive (after their awful loss to Daramalan when bollocking each other under the posts was pretty appalling).

Game day and they form the circle to talk their tactics. Struth. It is about playing positive rugby!

Your man Taylor interrupts (he is a shrimp 12 yo defensive left winger – meaning he rarely gets the ball) and chimes in with a short speech about being positive and playing as a team. They listen.

Silence. As the team First Aider and strapper I have some voice so I backed him up with a short homily about the “******** of slinging off at your mates in the game”. Points taken,

Other parents join in about playing positive rugby. More points taken. Coach is silent. Seems the boys have heard the lecture before.

'Cos during the game they don’t gob off. And glory be they play OK!

Burgers were better. No issue. But Radford are playing as a team and never saying die. While Burgmann are always going to win Radford are giving it a rattle. They did not give up. They played better for that loss than they have done for a couple of wins.

Then comes a Dad’s (and a Grandpa's moment). Burgmann kick for metres from half way back in their territory. High it goes and it will land half way in Radford territory.

Who is under it?

Taylor – who then shows what a few weekends down the park with the old man putting up the high ball can do. Takes the damn thing on his chest as safe as houses. He then clocks two bloody great forwards bearing down on him with the wrath of several Gods of various deities and sets off. Straight at them (Whaaattttt?).

At first.

Slavering like hyenas about to rip apart a gazelle they converge on the small lad who is still running at these hulking Uruk-hai. With ball tucked under the arm he looks right. They look left. He then heads to his left having sold the Harbour Bridge with views and they tackle air. He sprints like his league hero, Edrick Lee, down the sideline. A Burgmann tackler is converging. He must go into touch – he does a desperate rear arm flick thing that all the leagies (particularly Edrick Lee) do, but to no avail, his foot went into touch before the offload.

Flag up.

Bugger.

He walks back to his mark having made back the 30 metres lost to the kick. But his mates – particularly the biggest boys are saying “hey Taylor” and giving him the thumbs up.

I don’t think he would have traded that moment for anything.

And either would I.

[Nephew]

That's a great story John, and I don't even care for team sport! I hope more parents of kids that play sports teach them these kinds of ethics. It would make for improved games, and improved lives of those that carry such ethics into adult life.

Your boy William sounds as game ,and wily, as Ned Kelly,mate! Good lad, well done !

[hazard]

Thats the spirit! Well done

Hazard

[Stickbow Hunter]

A big GOOD ONYA all round!

Still doesn't make me like football though.

Jeff

[looseplucker]

That's a great story John, and I don't even care for team sport! I hope more parents of kids that play sports teach them these kinds of ethics. It would make for improved games, and improved lives of those that carry such ethics into adult life.

Your boy William sounds as game ,and wily, as Ned Kelly,mate! Good lad, well done !

Whaddya mean ethics? Selling dummies like that the boy will be a fine lawyer one day!.

[Nephew]

Whaddya mean ethics? Selling dummies like that the boy will be a fine lawyer one day!.

A chip off the old block, John?

"Having sold the harbour bridge with views"... wilyness would be a prerequisite for practicing law, wouldn't it?