Tea + Sporting Event = Me Officially Being English
Dawning my glasses and retainer, I write this from the desk of my boyfriend, whom was off early this morning to learn at "University". (Sidebar - people laugh when I call it "school". I've know they call it Uni, but did NOT think it would be such a big laugh when I slipped up and called it school to one of his friends. I found it a bit rude at the time, to be honest, as I had just met him and was trying to make polite conversation.) It is 7.30 am here and I am sad to say that I am up for the day. I technically do not have to be up for a least another 3 hours, but having no properly functioning cell phone I have no reliable alarm clock. I had considered utilizing my old cell, but am unsure if I trust it. Same with his I-pod docking station. Therefore, here I am, blogging away earlier than I care to be awake in the morning sunlight, in my jammies. Seems as good of time to update this dealy anyways, seeing as I haven't all week.
My last blog was about my new hobby as a mead maker. This one shall be about my other new hobby, that surprises even me. I am a budding rugby enthusiast. Yes, that is correct - I now like a sport other than hockey. For those that are uninitiated, there are two kinds of hockey. I prefer the one less like American football, the type most people think of when they think of rugby.They call it the 'gentleman's sport', although I do not know why because it has a lot of violence in it really. People get very hurt sometimes. I suppose they do all end in cheering for one another's teams and shaking hands. Still, there are much calmer and civil sports...
You may be asking yourself such a thing as 'how in the world did Cassie, whom loathes most sports, come to enjoy such a game as rugby?' Well, I am glad you asked and you are in luck, because that is exactly what I am going to tell you eager readers about today.
Awhile back, Alex became a certified rugby referee. When he does not work on a Saturday he goes to the Willenhall Rugby Club and ref's games. This is the rugby club that Alex used to play for back in the day. These games are largely the veterans or U16 (this stands for 'Under 16's' and means that all the players are 16 for the most part, no older, perhaps a few almost 16-ers) games. Every Sunday he ref's children's games, whom have slightly modified rules but make up for it due to the amusing parent situations and the fact that they fall down a lot more. He does not have a set reffing schedule, per se, but has consistently refereed like this since I have been in the country. He gets an email or phone call on a Friday, with information regarding what games still need to have a ref. He only ever accepts the ones at this specific rugby club.
He sports an official 'badge' ('pin' to Americans) and a special tie with the club's design on it. This is, of course, paired with nice jeans and a long sleeved collared shirt. The interesting thing about this outfit is the badge. When wearing it, he is supporting and protected by the rugby club he belongs to. If he were to get into an accident of sorts (even if it were, say, a car accident that was his fault) the rugby people will completely pay for all the medical bills and damage that is a result. God willing, he will never have to use it for such reasons. It is nice to know that it is there for him though. Come game time, he switches to his rugby 'kit'. I always help him coordinate the outfits and I particularly like trying to guess what jersey he should wear that will 'stand out' the most from the players. Since I have no idea what the team colors are going to be (apart from the Willenhall ones, whom are always a maroon color) it is sometimes interesting. I typically pick his yellow jersey or his pink camo jersey. For any 'official' or 'important' matches he always wears his special embroidered rugby shorts with pockets. For general games he will wear one of his other random pair that also has pockets....he has to have something to keep his official referee notepad and score cards in while he runs round after the teams.
Being the legitimately interested and wonderful girlfriend that I am, I have attended all of the games he has refereed since being in the country. I have been accompanied twice - once by his sister and once by our friend. Luckily, the second game I attended a friend of ours tagged along. It made it less confusing for me than the first game because somebody was there to explain what was going on when I got confused. I have watched rugby before, on tv when visiting here in the past, and Alex has explained to me what is generally going on. I still really had no clue when trying to figure it out on my own. To help me out, Alex lent me his official law book. Yes, the call the official rule book for rugby a law book. And it contains laws, not rules. I read the whole thing the first Thursday I was here, when he was going Uni work. It helped some and I asked questions, but I was still lost.
During the second time I went, I spend a significant amount of time making up my own rule changes that I thought would enhance the game. Definitely better distinguished kit is needed. Home teams should be required to wear a jersey with some sort of striped pattern on it and socks with poky dots on. The visitors much wear poky dot jerseys and striped socks. The ref gets solid colors or a distinctive pattern. There should be half-time entertainment and a tea cart available (although often on Saturday the club house is open and it sells a large variety of hot, cold, and alcoholic drinks as well as food such as chips and various sandwiches). Throughout the game there should be a tortoise race that is bet upon. Anyone can enter a tortoise if they wish. There will be one decorative tortoise that belongs to the rugby club. It will have a painted shell to distinguish it. The race spans half the field and is places right next to it. Teams are penalized if the ball interferes or harms the tortoise race. Once the special tortoise reaches the finish line, the teams must do a dance and swap sides of the field....these are the main changes I would make.
Since this time I have learned the basic gist of the game. I actually enjoy going, as long as it is not too terribly cold out. I always bundle up and bring a thermos full of tea. I have hand warmers in my purse, just in case it gets extra cold, and leave a blanket in the car to sit on if it is nice out. It is surprisingly interesting to stand on the sidelines and listen to the crowds comment on the game. Particularly during the kids games. Like other sports in the states, the parents get really wound up about their children playing and shout a lot of stuff - at their kid, at other kids, at the other team, the coaches, the ref, just in general. I enjoy listening. Undoubtedly, at least once during the afternoon of rugby games (he ref's between 1 and 4 games an afternoon, but it is typically not more that 2 with the exception of children's tournaments because those are shortened in time) someone asks me the score. Firstly, I never know which team is which unless I have seen the Willenhall team before. Secondly, scoring is one of the things I do not quite have a grasp on yet. I can tell someone how many have been successfully run to the correct location and touched to the ground by a player and how many have been successfully kicked in the goal posts for each team. I cannot, however, keep up with the point. I generally just know which is winning and if it seems to be by a lot or a little. Its a start really.
Alex has encountered some interesting situations at refereeing. He has had to red and/or yellow card several players, sending them off for a particular amount of time, or permanently for the game. Mostly for fighting after he has told them multiple times to stop and they continue to make dangerous tackles. He once had a kid punch another straight in the face because they had been mouthing off to one another the entire game and the one kid got sick of it. Full on fights between some of the teen players has also lead to kids being kicked out of the game. He has had to send parents of kids away to sit in the clubhouse. This actually has lead to him being directly threatened by a parent for doing do. He has to write up a report anytime he does something like that, just in case something comes out of it later like a severe injury, accident, or complaint. For the threat he received he has to even go to court and read through his report, adding or subtracting anything he wishes, so that the man can be penalized accordingly. Pretty serious stuff, that. At least he is being taken seriously and is being protected.
So yeah, I am a fan. I enjoy watching the game, the fights, the crowds. I particularly like seeing Alex enjoy himself and use his authoritative voice. All in all it is a good time. I am, however, a bit sad to report that I have yet to see someone's ear be ripped off in a scrum. In all reality, that would be really gross but it is something that I hear happens.
I have yet to watch Alex play rugby. He does sometimes play, but not often and not since I have been here. He has been asked, but has not been able to accept for multiple reasons - he has had to work on a Saturday or has already agreed to ref. He also does not go to practice unless he knows he is playing. He would play with the Willenhall vets team if they are short players or if he is not needed as a ref. I would love to watch him play, seeing as I adore watching him play soccer, sorry 'football'. I am sure I will eventually, but for now I am content watching him ref on the weekends and playing soccer on the occasional Sunday evening. It will be even more fun when the weather is warmer! I look forward to continuing to be a good 'trophey wife' and attending these matches with him.
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