Lessons from the RWC

New Zealand has just competed in a World Cup 45 day tournament for Rugby. Rugby is a 15-a-side game all centred around an oval ball. For a dummies guide to Rugby - not that you are a dummy - but rather the author is ;-) have a look at my 21st of August blog for a refresher ;-) There were 20 teams from across the planet competiting from Russia to Namibia, Argentina to Samoa and in between. The country plunged itself into the festivities and according to the media are confirmed as the bestess host country of this tournament EVER...

Anyway, love it or hate it, in New Zealand or America - it came, it saw and was conquered. Here are my lessons from the Rugby World Cup (RWC) 2011.

LESSON ONE - Get over it!
I don't particularly like Rugby. Like I have mentioned before, I was a rugby widow with small babies and it sucked. The older I get, and with the increase  of tv coverage of the sport - my middle-aged husband, whom I have been married to for 20 long rugby loving years - dominates the tv and I am subjected to games, re-runs of games, talk-shows on games, more talk shows on the rugby, seven days a week... only to have given birth to two sons, who have grown up to play and talk rugby!! So lesson number one - the RWC taught me to get over myself, and embrace it because it is something that the man and manchildren that I love - do! So I got a grip and got over myself and joined the hype ;-) and quietly between me and you - I actually enjoyed it!!

LESSON TWO - National Identity/Patriotism

One of the reasons I have had a difficulty with embracing Rugby is because of what it means to the country. It have a clear understanding that it is just a game - yet from what I have observed and by listening to commentators - both social and sports, the media - hard print and live coverage - it has been confirmed for me, that the country's well-being is heavily invested (financially, politically, economically, physically and psychologically) in how we do in Rugby. The latest tournament actually brought peoples together from this fair land in a way that a prime minister could only dream of doing. We had neighbours and strangers standing side by side willing on a single entity against the rest of the world... amazing!

LESSON THREE - Rugby is just a game - NOT

My case is highlighted by the fact that when the national team - the All Blacks lose, the domestic violence rate increases. So for me, the well-being of our menfolk is invested in a game and how well we do. To be fair I am sure that the rates for domestic violence probably spikes when we lose in the other codes - but the correlation with rugby is well documented. The day we can lose and lose graciously in our homes as well as in public - then rugby will truly be viewed for what it is - a game! This is something we can learn from the visiting teams and their supporters. How are we going to change this as a nation?

LESSON FOUR - Overcoming odds

My favourite player in the tournament was Piri Weepu. He is an example of overcoming the odds, and they were certainly stacked up against him in recent times. Firstly, he was unceremoniously dropped from the last world cup team just before the team left much to the dismay of his fans, his whanau and himself. Jo Public was unaware of the reasons - and we were not happy! When he broke his leg last year - it was with abated breath as we watched him recover, then slowly come back into his rugby with his local club, province, super 14 team and finally the All Blacks for the RWC 2011. In the semi-final Piri not only lead the empassioned haka (as he did for all the games), he had the kicking duties (should be number 10's job!), and played his own position while directing play from the backline - and all done as we are just learning - with the flu!! We won that game and Piri became a legend! Sure he played a shocker of a final - but this only goes a long way to telling the coaches - "Mate, one man shouldn't be doing everything!!"

LESSON FOUR - Redemption

The best example of this was in regards to a player called Stephen Donald.
Donald has played his rugby for my local province team for years, and the represented the Chiefs (also based locally) in a super 14/15 tournament with Australia and South Africa. He eventually made it into the All Blacks, however, his time in the black jersey was memorable for the wrong reasons, missed tackles, kicks, and calls.  In fact in his last outing against our arch rivals - Australia, Donald missed kicks costing us critical points and in fact was probably the most hated player in the country as he was blamed for that loss (remember lessons 2 and 3) - forget about the other 14 players ;-) So when we lost some key players to injury in the recent RWC tournament, Stephen Donald got the call and I would suggest the country laughed. He is known as Donald Duck to many of us because the worse thing you can get in another sport code - Cricket is a duck! and who better suited to that role as the last time he kicked he missed and we lost! So, after an unexpected injury to a key player - Donald was called on to play at 9:27pm Sunday, 23rd October in a little jersey that was obviously designed for the much smaller frame of the player he was replacing. Where I was watching - we didn't hold out much hope!! But Donald came on, with the weight of the country on him,  knowing that that same country was fractured in their support of his recall, and what does he do - he kicks a penalty square in between the uprights and won the game for New Zealand against France 8-7. And there you have it - redemption! From a zero to hero ;-)

Love it or hate it - the Rugby World Cup came, saw, and we conquered it. It brought me together with friends who are on the other side of the world, Aussie & even in Auckland as we ran a running live commentary on facebook while watching in different timezones...! It taught me some things about myself, and about the country in which I love - some things to be improved on - some things that are cool - and then other things that just 'are' the same yesterday, today and probably tomorrow, when it comes to the number one sport in the country - RUGBY.

Yours in friendship,

Mxo

Rugby for dummies (or people that don't really care)

The only good thing about being a rugby widow of 15 years of my married life is that you learn pretty much everything there is to know or don't want to know....So, this blog is for the thousands (I only have a readership of seven - but you get my drift) of people who don't know much about rugby and aren't too fussed either way ;-) I don't know anyone in that catergory except myself (but that's because I have done my rugby time...)

1) The objective and points
The objective, as with every game is for one team to get more points than the other. In this country everyone believes the national team is going to win - actually, all countries believe their national team is going to win the World Cup. If you don't have a team yet - pick one. Points are achieved by either scoring a 'try' (when the ball touches your oppopent's end of the field) which is worth 5 (five) points, kicking a 'conversion' (straight after the try, the team that scored gets to convert the try) which is worth 2 (two) points, kicking a 'penalty' which is worth 3 (three) points, or when someone in the team thinks more highly of themselves and kicks a random 'drop kick' which is worth 3 (three) points.

2) Players - Forwards

retrieved from
http://news.bbc.uk/

There are 15 players on the field at one time. The first eight numbered players are what are called 'forwards'. Numbers 1,2,3 are usually a stocky 5ft something and main goal in life is to get the ball. Not known for their speed, but their strength - one of their roles is to throw the ball in during the line outs, keep the scrum focussed, and lifting the tall guys up in the line out to help them catch the ball... Numbers 4-5 are usually the tallest men on the planet and had the choice to play basketball but chose this sport, and 6-8 are a mixture of tall and brawn. Numbers 6-7 are called loose forwards and are pretty agile and help the team drive the ball up the field and can be seen running the ball. They create opportunities... Our most famous are Richie McCaw (current captain) or one of my all time favourites - Micheal Jones. The number 8 position is the only one that does not have a specific or fancy name and is called  'number 8'. Our famous number eight is the great Buck Shelford.

3) Players - Backs

If the main goal of the forwards is to get and protect the ball, the backs are responsible for getting the tries. Number 9 is called the 1/2 back and I'm not sure if this is actually a requirement but I have yet to be proven otherwise when I say, they are usually, next to numbers 1-2, the shortest on the field ;-) Their job is to get the ball from the forwards and pass it out to the backs. Numbers 10,12 &13 are the midfield people who pass that ball either to the left of right, or a mixture and can either score the tries through manoevres or pass it to numbers 11 and 14 who are on either side of the fields and are called wings to score. It is normal practice that the number 10 does the conversion kicking, and the kicking in general. Our most famous 10 is Daniel Carter - the underwear model and Jonah Lomu is our most famous wing (number 11)... The last man of defence, stuck at the back is 15 who is full back - it is their role to get the ball out of their teams line and back down to the opposite end of the field...

4) Jargon
Like every universe - the rugby universe has its own language. Here are few words that you will hear and I offer my lay-man explanations.

Retrieved from
www.players.indoor.com

Tackle - is not the same as used when fishing. It is when a player uses their own body to stop the movement of another. The most effective way is by grabbing the legs of the opposition - and is only limited by the imagination of the player. It can not be done around the neck... The bigger tackle, the louder the cheers from the crowds.

retrieved from
conversationalrugby.com

Ruck - is when a team is trying to get the ball back off the opposition once a tackle has been made. The players must remain on their feet... but even I get confused about what they are doing - all I know is that the sprigs of a boot are usually used, officially to dislodge the ball from someone's grip - and even for the 'hell' of it...I should know - my player always had sprig marks in places I know there was no ball there ;-)

Maul - a maul is kind of complicated. It looks like a mangled mass of bodies - but there apparently is some order to it. Judging by the excitement of the commentators you will get some idea is a maul is working or not...

Scrum - A scrum looks like a team meeting at the end of a game, but it is all business in a rugby game. You will hear the referee calling crouch-pause-engage-scrum followed by the crunching of the forwards of both teams connected by shoulders as they pit themselves against the strength of each other trying to gain advantage moving towards their opposition's goal line...

Line Out - the line out is when the ball has gone out of play and needs to be throw in again so people can start playing. It is similar to the throw in ball used in soccer except in rugby the forwards are lined up to catch the ball. There are strict rules around the distance between the two teams and the ball has to be thrown in STRAIGHT ;-)

5) Essentials

This last tip is offering three essential catchcrys when watching a game with enthusiasts - so you aren't seen as anti-social ;-)

'passit' - this is a favourite - whenever you see someone with the ball - yell at the top of your voice - passit. You are encouraging the person to give the ball to someone else to do something with it...
'wide' - another favourite - this just means that you are yelling at the tv or at a game for the player to passit wide - as in out to the wings so they can get a try...
'kickit' - the third in the list of preferred catchcrys is kickit. All this means is that you are yelling at the tv or at a game for the player to kick it out, down, away or somewhere else ;-) You will hear other cries but as this is a family friendly blog... you'll need someone else to explain those ones ;-)

Well, that's about it from me.... and if you really want to know what the official word on any of these things are - go to http://www.irb.com/ or http://www.nzrugby.co.nz/

Good luck and go Namibia!! ;-)

Yours in friendship

Mxo

Go, Son, Go!!!!

I love my sons and yes, I have to admit - that when they play sports I am alittle loud at times. In my defence, it is always, in support of the instructions the coach has given... So when my son asked if it was alright if his father went to a Touch final instead of me it made me think...

The first time this particular son asked me to stop 'shouting' at him was when he was playing basketball at the ripe old age of ten. What he called shouting I called "getting his intention to remind him of how to play", like reminding him to "put your arms up son", "get the ball son!!" or "don't let him get your ball son!!" and always with a bit of "way to go son!!" and "go, son, go!!" I couldn't believe that out of all the parents, the only voice he heard was mine. I wish I could say that it was the only voice that mattered, but apparently it was the very one that wounded him. He did not find then, or recently, any of it to be motivating or otherwise.

So yesterday, we are preparing to go to my sons' first Rugby game since they were 5 years old, and I am more than excited. My son turns and says "Mum, have you read the Code of Conduct for Parents and Supporters yet?", "The what?" I ask. He then goes and grabs this document he has been leaving around for his number one supporter to read and obviously hadn't picked up, and..... ohmigosh what a timely document his High School has released.

Here are my top five picks (there must be some excited parents at this High School because there are ELEVEN considerations) :-).

MY CODE OF CONDUCT PICK ONE
Being part of a team is a commitment; assist your son to live up to his commitments, Do not accept your son letting his team mates and coaches down.

This is a great one for teaching children the importance of being in a team. It is something my husband and I feel very strongly about, and so pleased that our sons are learning this lesson first hand. What an awesome High School that encourages parents to teach this!

MY CODE OF CONDUCT PICK TWO
Show appreciation for the people who make it possible for your son to play sport. They are invariably volunteers and are involved because they enjoy the game.

This is a lesson that I am still learning.My husband reminds me all the time that their coach is just a parent like us and not the All Black or All White (last year) coach ;-)"Yes" he tells me "You are right - but would you just keep quiet!!" :-)

MY CODE OF CONDUCT PICK THREE

Watch your son play whenever possible.

Nothing is more satisfying than watching your children play anything. We have friends who run themselves raggard on Saturday mornings to get to all if not most of their children's games. I thank them for their example to me. Our children are worth the investment of our time.

MY CODE OF CONDUCT PICK FOUR

Remember your son is playing sport for his reasons not yours

I love it and thank the High School for reminding many parents of this!! For me it is important for my sons to learn how to be part of a team - because in the big corporate world, team work is a skill that many people struggle with. Playing team sports helps bridge that gap, and provides years of experience without having to go to uni for one day. This is hilarious because I just asked my son why he was playing Rugby – and his answer simply was "because Soccer is boring".

MY CODE OF CONDUCT PICK FIVE

Sport is about having a positive attitude. You can assist in setting a postive tone and help to make sport an enjoyable experience

This is a skill that as parents we need to learn and learn well - because I have been with children who have felt totally destroyed by their parents commentary and made a promise to myself never to do that to my sons... and it is pretty hard after some games ;-)Be positive and make it a good experience otherwise they will never want to 'try' again.

I congratulated myself after the tournament yesterday because I had kept most of the code of conduct. My son got the first try in the first game - and I did cheer him on then beeped our truck horn for added measure! ;-) Luckily my son heard the horn and was okay with that….. but he didn’t hear his prideful mother yelling at the top of her lungs "Go, Son, Go!!!"

Yours in friendship

Mxox