rugby

"Melissa, smash her into the wall!", "Heads up, or instant death!", "Bite her jersey!"...ahhh, the familiar, heart-warming sounds of rugby.

The other night I introduced great guy's niece to the world of rugby. It has been a number of years since I've been in a ruck, scored a try, or grabbed a ball out of the scrum. Good times. But, even after all this time, turning the corner and walking into practice, seeing the face light up of a dear, old friend, after all we shared during rugby, was priceless.

Vinny is hard care. Once upon a time, I was very close friends with him and his wife. An ex-army dude, he's as ferocious as he is warm and fuzzy, and as I was leaving practice he said to me, "Nina, we've got to get together before you leave, to makeout or whatever, anything!" Whereupon, I asked how his wife and 2 children are doing! He is one of those flirty but not creepy, loveable but insanely loyal, intense but very playful, guys, who make an incredible friend.

Great niece will now be initiated into the Rams fold, taken under their protective wing and shown all the ropes she will need to bring out her inner, killer instinct (we all have one and if you doubt me, then learn to play rugby). She will gain friends, confidence, skill, more friends, endurance, self-assurance, a sense of accomplishment, even more friends...traits that every rugby player I know ends up with.

This is a sport which, I think, is especially great for girls. There is a position on a rugby team for every type of girl; whether you're tall and thin, short and thin, tall or short and not so thin, or just average build - if you really want to play then all you need is heart and practice.

In rugby, you try and kill each other on the field and then walk off and have a drink together...that's why it's called 'the gentleman's sport'. And, it's where I learned the valuable life lesson, which I still refer to often, "What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger."