Rugby 101

Our first rugby game last night. And it was great fun.

Bermuda has been hosting the World Rugby Classic for the last twenty years. The Classic is the senior all-stars of rugby. I think there’s a minimum age (mid-thirties), and it’s made up of former top players representing their countries. Eight teams participated, including the USA Eagles, in an elimination-style tournament.

It’s a week-long event that ended with the finals on Saturday night. The event started a week ago with a street party. That was followed by a bit of rugby, followed by some drinking and partying, some rugby matches, drinking and partying, a bit more rugby, more drinking and partying, a golf tournament, the finals on Saturday night followed by a farewell party where there was a bit of drinking. My guess is there was a significant blip in the rum sales in Bermuda last week.

Bacardi is one of the corporate sponsors for this event, so Kim and I were able to enjoy the matches and to also schmooze with some of Bacardi’s local customers along with some of the U.S. players. The U.S. team had been eliminated earlier in the week, so they were invited to the corporate tent for dinner and drinks. It was a great chance to learn a bit about the Classic and the game.

We sat with one of the players and he gave us the basics while we watched the game. He said he was glad to be returning on Sunday because his liver needed a rest. We also were able to spend some time with the U.S. coach. He was telling us that the organization is non-profit and that these guys play just for the love of the game. Presumably corporate sponsors pay their T&E.

Anyway – the game. It’s actually a lot easier to understand (well, maybe not the nuances) than I had thought. A lot quicker paced than American football (which is one reason it’ll never gain widespread popularity in the States – there’s no time for commercials), and my guess is that it requires more athleticism than American football. The USA coach told us that it’s gaining popularity in American high schools primarily because it’s a lot cheaper to field a rugby team than it is a football team. Interesting thought.

Well, last night the local favorites – the Classic Lions (England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales) -- upset the South African team that was the reigning champion and favored to win. The crowd went wild with the upset, so there was lots of celebrating going on. Probably a bit of drinking also.

Kim and I bailed out shortly after the game. I think we got home just as the real party was starting. We’re just wussy Americans.