Saturday is rugby day and here are 3 reasons why

“Saturday is rugby day!” is what you will hear from most people who play the sport. It refers to the most common day around the world on which the game is played. I say this pretty much every time I see a sticker, t-shirt or anything else remotely rugby related. I can still remember coming to practice one day and the coach was like, “You’re with the Forwards today, Miley.” I thought to myself ‘why is she calling me Miley?’ As it turns out, I was given the name because of my phenomenal performance of the Miley Cyrus song ‘Party In The USA’ at a club event the night before. It’s always fun to hear how one gets the rugby name from her.

Now that you know a bit about me, let’s see how rugby changed my life for the better. “In the beginning, God created rugby” is what I mean. He probably did some other things first. He did; however, he creates the sport that millions of people around the world know and love. Disclaimer, all my experiences with rugby were not good especially when I almost broke some bones.

1. Rugby has allowed me to connect with people from all over the world. I have met French, Ecuadorian, Cuban, Chinese, Polynesian, English and even African rugby players. I think there was also a clown there. At the beginning of this reading I mentioned how I scream every time I see something even remotely related to rugby. Even if I see someone going for an afternoon run, I’ll say, “Saturday is rugby day!” It’s like we’re a family and we automatically feel connected to those who also enjoy the sport. From Miami Beach to Hong Kong, I constantly run into guys playing rugby. They’ll be inviting me out for a drink, to their kids birthday party, one guy even designed our current club logo for FREE!

two. It’s a great way to keep the pounds off too. Imagine running a 5K and every 1/2 mile having to deal with a 215 pound guy bringing groceries to your house. That’s more or less rugby. To play the sport effectively, you need to be in good shape because it involves a lot of cardiovascular exercise. Run. Unlike soccer, but similar to soccer, the game is continuous and there are no breaks between impulses. The course is 100 meters long and you will run the full distance at least 10 times in a game. As I write this, I was motivated to do 50 squats, so please give me a second…

3. There is no better feeling than scoring a Try! A try is scored by grounding the ball into the opponents’ in-goal area. Imagine a touchdown in soccer, but you have to press the ball to the ground. Getting a Try is fantastic because of all the hard work that goes into getting there. Imagine a soccer player scoring a goal. That kind of emotion!

So I hope I have converted you to the nation of rugby and that one day you will take the field. Most cities have a Men’s League and most colleges have a College League. I’ve played against UM, LSU, UF, FSU, Auburn and even Duke University. There is rugby everywhere. You just have to go out and find it.

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