I was a rugby virgin…
…until last week, that is. I have to say that I have been to very few team spectator sports [Wimbledon doesn’t count.] An Italian boyfriend once took me to a Roma Lazio football match. I had no idea what was going on but there was plenty of eye candy. I mean, I went to live in Rome mainly because of the Italian national team. The other time was in New York, when an old university friend invited me to the Goldman corporate box, but truth to tell, I can’t remember if it was American football or baseball. I must have been more interested in the corporate buffet.
So it was with curiosity that I accepted an invitation to Twickenham to see a rugby match. Now, all I know about rugby is there’s something called Six Nations, it’s supposed to be for real men and not nancyboys like footie and Jonny Wilkinson is cute. It was the Army vs Navy match and my friends, Tej and Preeti, invited me down at lunchtime. “They’re laying on extra trains at Waterloo so you shouldn’t have a problem getting to Twickenham,” said Tej. Well that train journey was an experience in itself. 11 am and I was probably the only person on the train not swigging beer and wearing a red shirt. Clearly there was a predominance of Army fans, but they were very good-natured and as the train chugged slowly through deepest darkest south-west London my carriage filled with bonhomie and laughter. What I was beginning to realise was that rugby and alcohol were inextricably linked in the best possible way.
The main match began at 3.30 but there had been other events earlier on like veteran’s matches [a veteran being over 35] and Tej and Preeti were getting into the spirit of it near the veteran’s tent. With skiing you have après ski but with rugby you have avant and après rugby. The idea is not to remain sober and I was even told “eating is cheating’. So around 3.15 we merrily made our way to the stadium amongst a throng of mildly inebriated fans. Cross-dressing and costumes are all part of the fun too. I spotted three beefcakes in short dresses and high heels queuing up for the gents, and one was definitely going commando.
As the match got going the roar of the crowd and the thrill of the match got the adrenalin pumping. The funniest moment was when a hefty streaker with a tattooed g-string, ran onto the pitch and started prancing around like a young filly, niftily avoiding the officials. Eventually he was caught and escorted off to the clapping and amusement of the crowd. The Army won the match and we returned to the vet’s tent to resume our enjoyment of liquid refreshment.
I have to say I had great fun and, for the first time, enjoyed the spirit of rugby and everything that goes with it. Preeti and Tej run 20-17 Events and publish an online rugby lifestyle magazine called Rugby Unplugged which they will be relaunching for the new season this autumn and we are planning joint RU/TBW events, so watch this space!
By Julia
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