When people first go to watch a live match, there are generally two main things they comment about: the physicality of the sport and the team spirit.
It’s true that rugby is a great team sport; if your children enjoy being active, rolling around in the mud and making good friends, you may have to invest in a lot of warm waterproof clothing as a parent !
Rugby also teaches children how to lose; regardless of the outcome, players clap each other off the pitch and bad conduct is not tolerated by coaches. You learn from any mistakes you have made (not always applicable, some times, the other team just had that edge on the day) and this teaches you how to become a better player.
After a match, international players walk around the pitch to clap their supporters, exchange shirts with their opposing number in the changing rooms and enjoy a beer together in the bar afterwards. I’ve seen winning players go up to try and console someone from the losing team who may be upset.
As a spectator, rugby is about emotions, you might forget the exact score, but you know exactly how you felt when your team wins or loses on the day.
For me, from so many instances, two spring to mind. From the poignancy of watching Imanol Harinordoquy kiss the Webb Ellis Cup on his way to collecting his silver medal after the final of the 2011 RWC to the euphoria of our unexpected win against the All Blacks in the 2007 RWC quarter finals at the Principality Stadium.
More recently, two stand out matches include our win against the All Blacks in November 2021 (they had even flown Aaron Smith, then generally regarded as the world’s best scrum half to face up against our young upstart, a certain Antoine Dupont) and our win earlier this year at Twickenham in the 6Nations:#GoodGame indeed.
