Sunday, April 16, 2006

 

Of Men and Boys.....


9393 once asked if I played for the COBRAs. No, I played for Bucks RFC, Singapore but I took a keen interest in the COBRA 10s tournament, Hong Kong 7s for several years.

I was really passionate about this sport in my younger days and I guess the formative years must have left an indelible impression on me. Contrary to the belief that it’s a ruffian’s game, rugby is indeed a thinking game. It forces the whole team to think, strategize and execute while keeping a cool head under immense pressure.

To me, it is also a character development game. Knowing fully well its rough nature, the hard knocks, bruises and bumps, every player will not walk off the pitch unruffled. One does not loose his temper with the opponents because this IS the nature of the game and we chose to be a part of that. We want to play ball. Very often we pick ourselves (or rather mangled-self) up and say, ” Fuck it! Ignore the pain! It don’t mean anything! Drive on!”
To me, this outlook applies equally well in the life I chose to live.
Unlike soccer, rugby players are no wimps for we do not fake injuries, practice professional foul because those things disgust rugby fans and players alike.
Rugby supporters are also fun loving people and you won’t find them fighting, turning over cars torching or looting shops when their home team lost.

Injuries? Yeah, I had a few. Nothing too serious except for a twisted ankle that got me hobbling for a month. There was also an incident where I did not turn my face fast enough while tackling this huge Maori opponent in one of the matches at Dieppe barracks. I crashed into his knee and that left me with a nasty black eye.
Or the game against arch rival SCC where someone accidentally elbowed me in the chin so hard that it tore off the flesh between my gums and lower lip. I was bleeding quite badly but I continued playing because the coach said that we have used up all our substitutes. We would have been one man short if I dropped out for medical attention. It was a truly tough game that day and both teams suffered a fair amount of injuries. After the match, I went to the hospital to get stitched up….8 stitches.

Perhaps, one of the best parts of the evening after every game was the drinking and the silly songs we sang. The all too familiar male-bonding rituals, the jokes, the downing of endless gallons of golden liquid sustenance. These were some of the most memorable and enjoyable moments of my life.

Comments:
ur a real rough & tough guy hor!
 
"Perhaps, one of the best parts of the evening after every game was the drinking and the silly songs we sang."

I think I mentioned that my cousin played for the 10s, yes? I hear about the injuries, hanging out at the club after the game, even went to a couple of games to see what it's like. not something I'd engage myself in, of course, but I'll have to say it's a sport I'd pick over basketball, spectator-wise. ;)
 
Rugby players are like energizer bunnies...tahan lasak!! LOL!!
 
so "cha liat" !!
getting cuts, bruises and injuries
takes lots of guts.
now you are tough and fearless har??
 
Wuching....more like I was crazy back then. LOL

May....I was having a beer at the Cobra clubhouse the other day and I spotted our team's plaque still proudly displayed there.
I have fond memories of the friends I made there.

Simmie....I think we outlast the energizer bunnies leh. LOL

SA....Ice hockey is one game that I cannot understand why the players always end up fighting. They might as well take up boxing.
We had a couple of ice hockey teams here in malaysia but they don't have enough opposing teams to play against.

Elaine...it's all part of the game. Now ah? Not very tough anymore lah.
Those days young and reckless mah.
 
wah, u so rough and tough one ah?
 
With all the running around with a ball tugged under your arm must have surely groomed you into a toughie. Still at it? I mean the "running"?

Moon
 
KW...., with you I promise to be gentle-gentle ok or not? LOL

SMS...No, I no longer play. Neither am I as fit as before, but I still run these days....on a treadmill
 
So cute, the stripey uniform..kinda reminds me of 'Dennis the Menace'..

Never actually seen a rugby match before, only heard of All Blacks (they are the ones with black&white uniform with logo of a fern?). Are matches shown on terrestrial TV?
 
sounds soooo painful...remind me of wingz' video about those japanese girls and the painful kicks they give to their customer. :-O

ahhhhh...good memories, that's what life is about. don't attempt to relive it though....you may suffer very serious injuries at your age..kekekeke....well, maybe only the drinking and silly songs part lah.
 
i hate rugby, when i was in secodary school, the stupid PE teacher made us play during every PE lesson. One day, one of my classmates got so pissed that he had a big quarrel with the teacher which ended up with him giving the teacher a punch on his cheeks which resulted with his spectacles flying. Got suspened for one week followed by public caning.
After that? no more rugby. Every PE period do 20 laps on the field!
 
fuh, so macho!! :-)~~
 
Kat....you mean like prisoners ah? LOL
Yeah, the New Zealand all-blacks is one of my fav team too. So is the Australian Wallabies and the French teams.
These days, matches are mainly shown on ESPN etc. Getting too commercialized.

Lenglui....not so peen tai like those japanese torture lah.
Now getting too old to play. Bones also getting a little brittle to withstand such punishment.

Ah Pek.... You should have put your PE teacher in the middle of the scrum and everyone pile on him! LOL
Doing 20 laps on the field?? Fooyoh!! No wonder you can run so well in the Hash House Harriers! LOL Perhaps, that was good training.

Sooi2.... yep, it was fun. I thoroughly enjoyed those days especially the tournament tours.
We usually loose all matches because we were suffering from hangovers the day after and the knees got too wobbly to play. LOL
 
*gulp* 8 stitches awaited you and you still played along..

Hey, you look so so much like my God brother in these photos..

King's wife, doesn't Cocka looks like Uncle Henry?
 
Zmm....yeah, on hindsight I should've gone to seek medical help immediately. In fact, after the game, I went for a couple of beers with the lads before going to the hospital.
I look like Uncle Henry? Hmm..he must be very leng chai fella hor? LOL
Wait a sec...i need to check the family tree whether my old man sow any wild oats back then. LOL

SA....Hmmm....strange game, but I enjoy watching it on telly.
Kind of reminds me of Aussie rules football.
Oh, yes, tempers do flare and I'm guilty that i've exchange a few punches. The best part is when you're playing the pigs....ooops! the police teams, I mean.
Not many can claim that they got to punched a cop and got away with it. LOL
 
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