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| Dubai Rugby 7's |
A Little (or a lot in my case) of Lady Rugga blood pumping through my veins
A friend once told me : "Soccer is a gentlemen's game for thugs and Rugby is a thug's game for gentlemen". I'm not 100% certain where that leaves the actual fans. Well, thug or not, short of actually playing the game myself, I am an extremely passionate rugby supporter. I'm female and honestly, if it wasn't for the boobies, I might consider playing the game and can see myself as the Eighth 'Man', always last in the scrum, but first everywhere else.
In rugby, I guess you kind of specialize in a certain position and you might be able to move from being a left winger to playing a right winger (#'s 11 and 14), but you can't exactly move from being an Eighth Man (#8) and become a Hook (#2) just because you've gained a little winter fat (the way I move from my skinny closet to my fat closet (I know I'm not the only female out there that does that). I am thus better off being the passionate female rugby fan I am, doing what I do best and support my teams and not complicate the simple game of rugby. There's a little bit (in my instance, a lot) of Lady Rugga (LR) in all of us ardent female rugby supporters.
So, I am female. I wear a size 5.5 shoe. I don't have a player history, details of which I can bore my fiends with (unless games in school, against the female teachers count or dating the captain of the 1st rugby team). I have more rugby jerseys (by far) than any other female I know. I'm a staunch Springbok supporter. Loftus is my homeground and the Bulls are my boys.
I've been fortunate enough to be at the Dubai Rugby 7's in 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006 (each time watching rugby for 3 days consecutively, the BlitzBokke). I proudly sport the South-African flag on my face and won face in the crowed. In Dubai in December 2006, I sat in the rain for 14hours (from 9am to 11pm) amongst a handful of other supports, all dressed in black plastic bags, watching South-Africa stomp New Zealand. What seemed like an all 'all black' crowed soon became colourful, when soaking wet South-African supporters submerged from their all black rubbish bags, proudly showing off their green and gold jerseys (albeit completely drenched, covered in mud, with facepaint by then securely settled between my cleavage and my bellybutton) in support of the awesome BlitzBokke.
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| Dubai Rugby 7's - Face in the Crowed |
In 2004 The Bulls and The Stormers played in front of a 6,000 strong South-African crowed in the Middle East (Dubai). A dream came true when I met with all the players afterwards and were able to take pictures with The Bulls and The Stormers (a few of them, Springbok Players) and amongst them Victor Matfield, Breyton Paulse and Corne Krige.
Dubai - Bulls vs. Stormers
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| Dubai - Bulls vs. Stormers |
2007-2010, I supported the South-African teams (including the Vipers) in Singapore, during the Singapore Rugby 7's. The South African Protea Club arranged for a rugby dinner with the boys a couple of nights prior to the start of the tournament, a fantastic experience being able to meet with South-African players representing our country.
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| Singapore Rugby 7's - South African Vipers |
Singapore Rugby 7's - South African Vipers
I took up my seat on the infamous Hong Kong Rugby 7's South Stand in 2008 and again in 2010, in support of the BlitzBokke. You need to be an absolute fan with a lot of Lady Rugga blood flowing through your veins to be on the infamous Hong Kong Rugby 7's South Stand for 3 days consecutively from 9am to 9pm during the Hong Kong Rugby 7's.
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| Hong Kong Rugby 7's |
On a camping ground in Australia (Duras National Park) a bunch of Aussies were listening to commentary on a South-Africa/Australia game. I walked over for an introduction and an update and was promptly informed that "those damn South-Africans were at it again". By the smile on my face I got the "oh my gosh, you're South-African, aren't you?"
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| At a Rugby Match in Sydney, Australia |
I've always loved watching rugby. I was my parents first child, my two brothers came later and I grew up with ardent rugby players and supporters. I have always had a lot of respect for the All Blacks and whilst residing in Asia, I often traveled to New Zealand and Australia and support a few of the local teams (The New Zealand Warriors and Hurricanes and the Australian Rugby League teams). My blood pumps Blue, Green and Gold though and I proudly sport my country's colours (risking my life :)).
My small rugby dream(s) are to watch a South-Africa/Australia game in Perth(fontein), where the majority of the supporters wear Green and Gold (Springbok Green and Gold and not the grass-burn green and mustard, Wallabies supporters of late refer to as Green and Gold ;), and to be at the South Africa, New Zealand, Australia and USA (Las Vegas) Rugby 7's. My big rugby dream has always been to watch a South-Africa (Springboks) / New Zealand (All Blacks) game in either South-Africa or New Zealand. All of these, actual dreams on my bucket list.
RUGBY PLAYERS AND THEIR SUBSEQUENT ROLES THROUGH LADY RUGGA GLASSES :
It takes 15 well put together boys on each side (excluding the bench-warmers) to make things happen on the field. The first 8 players are the front row players (ruck players) and the last 7 are the back players (back line). The aim of the game is to score tries (as many as possible), which counts 5 points. A successful conversion (a kick) of a try, earns your team a further 2 points.
Numbers 1 and 3 are your props and number 2 is your hook (haker in Afrikaans, but NOT hooker in English - you're thinking of something/someone different). Your front row players (Numbers 1-3) are often built like tree-trunks and these are the players who need to go down in the scrum first.
Numbers 4 and 5, the locks are generally the tallest players (think Bakkies Botha and Victor Matfield, the Bulls' and Springboks' 'Airplane Speedcops'). They pack into the second row of the scrum and 'lock' in with the props and the hook, subsequently 'locking' the scrum.
Numbers 6 and 7 are the flanks and number 8 is your eighth man (together they are the loose forwards).
The back players consist of numbers 9 - 15, number 9 being your scrumhalf and the important link between the scrums and lineouts and the back players.
Number 10 is the fly half (this player often dictates the game). I can clearly remember my father often saying : "Naas Botha is a genius. That guy can read a game". Number 10 needs to kick darn well. There are a few good, well known Number 10s, including Daniel Carter. I'm yet to meet a female who does not know who Daniel Carter is and I've witnessed girls struggling between pervism and patriotism.
The flyhalf receives the ball from his scrumhalf and from there the ball needs to get to your wings (Numbers 11 and 14) as soon as possible. Your wings are generally the fastest players on the field. Remember the 1995 Rugby World Cup and New Zealand's fast and strong Number 11, Jonah (Tali) Lomu. He shaved Number 11 on his eyebrows, later got moved to the Number 15, full back position and this is where a Lady Rugga might feel sorry for him, because we know, growing back 'shaved' or 'plucked' eyebrows does not happen as fast as a wing can fly.
Number 10 is the fly half (this player often dictates the game). I can clearly remember my father often saying : "Naas Botha is a genius. That guy can read a game". Number 10 needs to kick darn well. There are a few good, well known Number 10s, including Daniel Carter. I'm yet to meet a female who does not know who Daniel Carter is and I've witnessed girls struggling between pervism and patriotism.
The flyhalf receives the ball from his scrumhalf and from there the ball needs to get to your wings (Numbers 11 and 14) as soon as possible. Your wings are generally the fastest players on the field. Remember the 1995 Rugby World Cup and New Zealand's fast and strong Number 11, Jonah (Tali) Lomu. He shaved Number 11 on his eyebrows, later got moved to the Number 15, full back position and this is where a Lady Rugga might feel sorry for him, because we know, growing back 'shaved' or 'plucked' eyebrows does not happen as fast as a wing can fly.
Numbers 12 and 13 are the centres and they are the impact players, there to straighten the line of attack. When they receive the ball from the fly half, they too need to ensure that the ball gets to one of the fast wings, if possible. Number 15 is your full back and this player needs to cover a large part of the field and are thus required to be beautiful (think Percy Montgomery), but more importantly, fit, fast on his feet and an accurate kicker.
Various kicks, scrums, lineouts and other technical bits like a late tackle, high tackle etc. makes rugby a very interesting game to watch (and play).
INTERESTING BITS TO WATCH OUT FOR DURING THIS SEASON, IN THE OPINION OF A LADY RUGGA :
Morne Steyn is a favoured of mine and a very good fly half. With Butch James back on the scene after Bath's season ends, things (RWC Selection) might proof to be interesting.
The Springboks are the defending champions and there seems to yet be a nation or a team more desperate for a win, than New Zealand's All Blacks. Ma'a Nonu, Collins (when he still played), Rodney So'oialo, former captain, Tana Umaga and current captain, Ritchie McCaw are a few of my personal favourites amongst the boys in black. I've seen Sonny Bill Williams in action for the Bulldogs in Australia, he then left for France, determined though to return to New Zealand to fulfill his dream and play for the All Blacks. Behold, he seems to be on track fulfilling that dream and I'm certain he's going to enjoy the world stage a Rugby World Cup has to offer, when he makes squad and represents his country, wearing the All Blacks jersey. That said, not even All Black's captain, Ritchie McCaw or Sonny Bill Williams for that matter, will have me struggling between pervism and patriotism when our boys in Green and Gold represents our nation, as the defending World Champions.
Sporting legend, David Tua was a guest on Wheel of Fortune and he had to select a letter of the alphabet and a word which starts with that letter. He selected 'O'. 'O' for 'Orsum' of course. There you have it .... rugby well summed up - 'Orsum'!!
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| Desperate for all things South African - Egypt |
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| Supporting South-Africa from Singapore |
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