Sportsmen.

 

It's '6 Nations Rugby' season again. We saw plenty of action last weekend, and will expect more today.

I have often wondered what makes people play 'contact' team sports.

My oldest, Kimbo, still regularly plays Cricket in the Summer. I used to play myself as a schoolboy, and loved the relaxed gentility of the game. People are rarely hurt playing Cricket. But that cannot be said for all sports!

After my school days I played Club Rugby which is a totally different kettle of fish to School Rugby. Quite why I played it, I'm not sure. I was working in The City at the time, and eventually my Co's partners suggested I stop. Seeing me limp into the office, bruised, every Monday morning was too much for them; and for me. However, I did manage to play against London Irish, London Welsh, and the thoroughly brutal Croydon RC; I still have a dodgy right knee to show for it.

I'm not sure why people play games where they know they'll end-up being hurt. It's rare to play a game of Rugby without being 'wounded' in some form or other. Even in Football, occasionally a player will have his ankle hurt, and he'll roll around in 'agony' for a while.

In Boxing the aim of the game is to 'demolish' your opponent, but it shouldn't be in most other sports. Ice Hocky is famously brutal, and there are other sports where injuries are common, but not caused by opponents. I did enjoy my School Rugby days, but not Club Rugby. Players were often simply out for a brawl (i.e. Croydon RC). They were THUGS.