Women's rugby

Subject: Fw: Women's rugby

 

 

Continuing my theme on sport and the role it can play in identifying a need amongst men, we may have to recognise a side of our nature which because of the feminising of society we may wish to reignite.
I had a choice. Continue watching the women's rugby test between England and New Zealand or swop to the men's game, England versus Argentina. Normally it would be a no brainier, the men's game is the real thing, the women's game is pedestrian and played in such a way, no one gets hurt.
I had somehow stumbled into the New Zealand game, played in New Zealand by parting with £10 for a weeks viewing of Sky Sports. The Lions / New Zealand games were my main objective along with the motor sport and the boxing clash between Andre Ward and the Russian Sergej Kovalev.
Anyway my scepticism was heightened when the Kiwis began to replicate the Haka.
It was more like a ladies choir, the words were there and the grimacing but there was no fire in the belly, no testosterone to fuel the passion. The English team are attractive, not the beefcake on sticks but genially attractive women. Being labelled a misogynistic man
I thought this might be interesting to see how they coped with tackling and the physical aspects of this hard contact sport. Surely it would be pedestrian and hardly full on.
I couldn't have been further from the truth as they hurled their bodies into the tackle or scrimmaged for the ball. Their rolling maul technique was very impressive and had the New Zealand team struggling to stop them. I was impressed by both sides but it was the Rugby technique that had been drilled into the English team which was impressive and a tribute to the professional side of this team. New Zealand on the other hand were a collection of amateur players and it showed. The New Zealand players have a natural flair for a game which means so much within the NZ community.
There was an amusing sight which reminded us that women have that aspect to their character which sets them apart. The game had come to a halt as someone was being repaired from injury. Standing around in a group, suddenly the bobs of hair tied up on the top of their head were loosened and hair cascaded down shaken out and readjusted.
I was, as always, reminded of the instinctive difference between us. Girls are brought up to take care and consider their appearance whilst men, of my vintage at least, appearance was incidental, although with the plethora of gels and creams for men on the market make this statement somewhat out of date.

Hair do or not, I was fascinated by the quality of the rugby. I suppose it missed the brutality of the men's game, more like a top class youth game where the violence is reigned in. That's not to say that the tackles were, in anyway softer or the scrummaging less vigorous. Anything but and the game was just as attractive.

The England / Argentinian game came on, I was drawn to that game but soon switched back to watch the remaining half of what was turning out to be a thoroughly enjoyable and fascinating game of rugby.