Time and time again bike touring opens me up to new worlds. Some I want to jump right in to, and others I want to watch from the sidelines. Through a new Kiwi friend, Reg, I was invited to play in a rugby match during my time in New Zealand. Reg said I would be fine. That they would provide me with a shirt, shorts and boots. That I didn’t even really need to know the rules, just to run really fast if I had the ball. I had some time to think about it, and was actually considering it. One night while holed up in a motel during a break I watched a rugby match on television, and in the first five minutes of viewing I knew there was no way I was going to participate in such silliness.
Even though I wasn’t going to play, I wanted to go and spectate. As I pulled up I saw some of the guys warming up on the field. I thought to myself they didn’t look that big, and they all looked to be my age. I considered saying something about playing, but decided that watching the first half might be smart. When the game started and that first collision happened, I knew that I had made the right call. My goodness those folks hit hard!!
After the game was over, I went upstairs to the clubhouse with both of the teams. All of the communities and neighborhoods in New Zealand seem to have a rugby club in their town. The teams play on manicured fields with a big clubhouse buildings on the grounds. The clubhouses are where both teams gather and relive the game they just played. They give speeches and hand out awards. After a month of cycling around New Zealand one of the things that stand out the most to me are how much the Kiwis love their Rugby. Kids seem to carry a rugby ball everywhere. Matches are always on tv. The whole country is abuzz because the Rugby World Cup is going to be in Auckland in September of this year.
I do understand it a little more, though there’s no way I’m getting out there. And I have great appreciation for the players who can hit that hard, and not get hurt. But perhaps my greatest appreciation goes to the MVP of Reg’s team that day. He was a giant of a man who received a pint of beer for his reward which he promptly drank in 2 sips. The most impressive feat of the day.
