great compliment and a realization

[mkottke]

Over the past weekend my alma mater had their alumni match. Basically, it was a great time getting together with old friends to beat up on youngsters. We scored about 5 tries to one in the first half and one in the second. We ended the game in a tie. After the match one of the newer players came up to me and said I was one of the dirtest players he has ever seen, but I prompted my reply with everything was done in the spirit of the game and if you know the laws you know how to circumvent and work around them.

The coach ended up reffing the match, I had no interest reffing because I needed my annual dose of hits and ball carries.
But I am curious, does anyone find it difficult to play anymore? I saw just about every infraction and started calling stuff like a ref while going into the rucks, which I found wierd.

-Mark

 

[beckett50]

Nope. Even on training nights I drop out when the contact stuff starts.

Call me a wimp if you like, but I stopped playing for a reason and have no desire to remind myself of those reasons

 

[Gareth-Lee Smith]

Ask me in a few weeks when I've resumed training with my club's Colts after a year's absence from 'serious' rugby.

Then ask me in a few months when I descend upon Wales for 'SERIOUS' rugby.

 

[ExHookah]

No interest in playing anymore, I enjoy refereeing so much right now, and I'm getting good games, so wouldn't want to risk missing out on that by picking up an injury playing again.

My last few years of playing I kept getting injured. I'd taken time out with a fractured vertabra, recovered from that, but kept getting concussions, dislocated thumbs etc.

Actually feeling sore from Saturday still. I got caught up in a collision, banged heads with the home team fly half and then slammed my head into the (very hard) pitch. Perfect reminder of why I don't play any longer. I played for well over 20 years, after starting very young, so I've got absolutely no regrets about changing the nature of my rugby involvement.

 

[Joop]

Still play the odd match with the first XV's. When I started ref'ing I found it hard to combine playing and ref'ing because next match I'd ref, I would use players running lines. (I could have scored dozens of try's if only they'd pass) With a couple of years under my belt I can seperate the two, but now play the referee much better than before.

 

[Greg Collins]

Then ask me in a few months when I descend upon Wales for 'SERIOUS' rugby.

Made that mistake myself when I went to Uni, as a 'mature' student' in my late 20's, and played for both the college (St David's, Lampeter) and a local club. Once given the moniker "English" by my club mates I felt like I had a target tattooed on my forehead. Hardest rugby I've ever played that is for sure, made me look forward to Wednesday afternoons where playing fellow students, nearly all of whom were quite a bit younger and less experienced than me, felt really easy in comparison. Odd thing was I was always getting hurt, e.g. concussed three times in one season, in the UW inter-college games but never picked up any thing with the club...

I'm told Lampeter College now struggle to put out an XV for BUSA games these days. Shame.

 

[Greg Collins]

But I am curious, does anyone find it difficult to play anymore?

Impossible, but that's why I've taken up the whistle so it isn't a problem.

Do sometimes find 'playerly' thoughts a bit of a distraction when in the middle though.

 

[Dickie E]

Hey Greg, is that the touchline in your photo? Cos if it is, someone's set up a marquee in the field of play.

 

[ex-lucy]

i still play occasionally and yes, Mark, i have the same issues.
"back feet", "stay onside", "hands out" ... I was bollocked by one ref for my calls.
On another occasion, i was beating a thp and he pulled me round and retreated, the ref gave a scrum turnover for 180 degs wheel which upset me. I had a good chat with the ref afterwards about it.
Lines of running? Running would be nice.

 

[didds]

I'm told Lampeter College now struggle to put out an XV for BUSA games these days. Shame.

Lampeter? Blimey... I used to play for Aber cricket 2nd XI in the old UAU/UW comps... used to go down to Lampeter to play them

600 students all studying English and History... although Malcolm Pryce would have you believe Undertaking was a possibility at Lampeter - or at least until Dean Morgan went AWOL... (highly recommended reading for ex Aber students ;-)

didds

 

[Greg Collins]

Lampeter? Blimey... I used to play for Aber cricket 2nd XI in the old UAU/UW comps... used to go down to Lampeter to play them

600 students all studying English and History... although Malcolm Pryce would have you believe Undertaking was a possibility at Lampeter - or at least until Dean Morgan went AWOL... (highly recommended reading for ex Aber students ;-)

didds

Some of us, about 50, were Theologians you know. And they had a Swedish studies faculty that had the most gorgeous exchange students ever. The year I was there I was the only guy, bar one other, in the squad who had chosen to go there - everyone else ended up there through clearing and were in shock for the whole of the first term....

The rugby pitch was next door to the cricket square as I recall and cricketers were held in much higher esteem than the rugger buggers. I bailed out halfway just after start of my second year but stayed on in Wales for another three.

 

[didds]

cricketers were held in much higher esteem than the rugger buggers. .

must have been the quality of the opposition they played... ;-)

didds