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Rugby, Mud, and Scrum Halves too.
Clean jerseys are for soccer players.
Ipse & Brian Redmond
September 27, 2024 • Estimated Reading Time ⏳ 5 minutes
Hey there, Rugby Rioters!
Look, I know most of ya’ll have fancy-shmancy, turf laden stadiums these days, but if you haven’t ended up looking like that guy in the meme above at least once, have you ever really played rugby?
I think not.
Many moons ago, my high school team played in a downpour on a grass field (generous term), and then hopped in a nearby river to wash off the caked mud. You could say it’s a “core memory”.
Here’s a photo from that day:
It was glorious.
Maybe it’s a rite of passage, or maybe it’s just the boyish desire to roll around in the muck - we’ve all got a little warthog in us, gents - but you will neither regret nor forget a rugby game played in the mud.
So, as the fall weather brings rain to much of the country, I hope you find an opportunity to get covered in mud and wreck an unsuspecting fly-half into a puddle. It’ll be good for both of you.
-Ipse
On to the subject of the day: Scrum Half
Read on👇
Calling all diminutive field generals!
The scrum half is a feisty dude. He’s bark AND bite. He’s the Napoleon of the rugby pitch, and often the catalyst for victory.
Scrum half reminds me of the coxswain on a rowing team: Just a scrappy little guy sitting on the end of the boat, yelling instructions to the hulking teammates in front of him. As an aside, you should read the Boys in the Boat - it’s a great book for athletes and coaches (but the movie was ‘meh’). |  |
To be fair, the scrum half does a heck of a lot more physical work than the coxswain…
Anyhow, we decided to give the scrum half an article all to himself.
You can read it here:
Speaking of scrummies…
This is a montage of Spencer Huntley training over the years - Cathedral Catholic (class of 2025).
Scroll to the right (on Instagram) and you’ll see his skills in action, playing for the USA U20 team. Pretty cool stuff!
Quote of the week:
In Pennsylvania, the Fall 7s season is underway with the first league tournament happening this past weekend in Berks County.
Will Perretta plays for St. Joe’s Prep and had this to say about his team’s performance at the tourney:
“It was a great day for The Prep with a lot of guys stepping up and making their presence known on the field. Especially Liam Fritz, who was starting his first Varsity 7s tournament and had a 2 try game. It was great to see guys like that have their hard work paying off. Overall, it was a great start to league play and a great place to build from moving forward.” Will Perretta, Scrum-Half, St. Joe’s Prep (2025) |  St. Joe’s varsity 7s squad |
Think you know rugby? Prove it!
Can the referee change their decision after awarding a try? |
Ice Bath Thoughts:
Oddball musings, induced by borderline hypothermia.
🏉 Why do we call it a “try” when we've clearly succeeded?
🏉 I wonder how the rugby ball got its shape. Someone should write a children’s book on the topic. The front cover could have a picture of a prop sitting on a soccer ball.
🏉 “Sin Bin” is the best infraction-related term in ANY sport. Debate me.
That’s it for this week!
Next week we’ll be diving into more high school rugby stories from around the USA.
If you enjoyed this, share it with your friends!
-The Rugby Riot Team
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