A Game For Thugs Played By Gentlemen

Yesterday Scooter and I were offered free tickets (thanks to our lovely friend Pip) to see one of the big sporting events in south London that kicks off the season.

It was a double header - four teams, two matches and over 51,000 people watching both matches. Supporters of different teams sitting next to each other, cheering on good plays and jeering bad ones, no matter which team was scoring.

Everyone in a good mood, laughing and very well behaved despite the huge amounts of alcohol comsumed.

This was The Wasps, The Harlequins, The London Irish, and The Saracens all playing at Twickenham.

This is RUGBY. This was a day where all the fans stayed for both games and enjoyed seeing professional teams play well, no matter what name was emblazoned on their shirts.

This is a game where the fans behave themselves, where opposing supporters are not ushered into seperate entrances in the stadium and do not run riot afterwards destroying anything and anyone in their path in an alcoholic rage afterwards.

This is a game where men knock seven shades of shit out of each other, and continue playing on. A slight knock or a gentle shove doesn't mean they tumble to the ground in agony, it's part of the game and they just get on with it.

This is a game where the players play for the love of the game and not for the paycheck at the end of the week.

I'm a recent convert to rugby. It all started with England winning the World Cup and "that" kick from the very lovely and sadly since, constantly injured, Jonny Wilkinson.

Its party what fueled Scooter and I to join as supporters to the the world's first openly gay rugby team, The Kings Cross Steelers. They've been going from strength to strength for over ten years.

Of course, it does help that the men in rugby are generally better looking too, hence the picture of the afermentioned Jonny, with Ben Cohen (on the right).

You may have been able to tell, in my not subtle way that I have somewhat of a distaste for football. I used to be really into football and still enjoy watching some of the bigger matches and did watch quite a bit of the recent world cup. I just think overall, rugby players and its fans are better behaved. I'm also somewhat disillusioned by the stupidly high salaries many of the players command, the constant changing of their kit design several times a year forcing their loyal fans to shell out their hard earned cash to 'keep up', and the fact that you take your life in your hands wearing your team's colours in the wrong part of town.

A collegue of mine summed it up quite nicely:

Football is a game for gentlemen played by thugs whereas Rugby is a game for thugs played by gentlemen.