UNL Rugby Football Club

I can honestly say that I would not be where I am today if I had not played rugby for UNL. My first three semesters at UNL were spent on academic probation. Playing rugby was one of the primary things that kept me interested in staying at UNL, and kept me going long enough to learn how to become a halfway decent student... at least enough to make it through. :)  I'm not sure what it's like now but when I started, basically, if you had what it took to keep coming back to practice, you could play.  Essentially, perseverance, indomitable spirit, and significant stones.

I can't say that I was ever a particularly good player.  I'm physically strong, but I'm big and slow and can't run for really long stretches.  No endurance when it comes to running... I hate it (give me a bike and I can ride forever... but running just doesn't agree with me).  Still, I played second row and loved it.  My job was to run from scrum to ruck to maul, collectively pushing the other team off of the ball so that the backs could get the ball and run with it.  If an opposing player was carrying the ball (and was actually slow enough for me to catch) I would wrap him up and knock him over.  In lineouts, I try to either come down with the ball, or at least knock it away from their guys.  Simple (even though I still probably played 3 matches before I really knew what I was doing). :)

Rugby is more than a sport.  It has this rich culture of tradition and brotherhood.  I can travel anywhere, and if I meet another rugger I instantly have a connection & a bond.  I learned songs that I can never remember while I'm sober - but friends that played rugby at different universities can still sing along and know all of the words.  You will tackle a guy from the other side, but you know you're going to drink with him after the match so you help him up.  It's an old cliche, but it's true... "Soccer is a gentlemen's sport played by ruffians, and rugby is a ruffian's sport played by gentlemen."

I'm on this journey through rugby nostalgia because this is homecoming weekend - UNL Rugby alumni weekend.  I played golf with some of my former teammates today, and it was very cool.  Amazingly, they all seem to have aged well.  Even cooler, I'm going to play in the alumni rugby match tomorrow.  Not only do I finally get the chance to introduce my kids to rugby, but they'll see me play it (probably very badly and for a short time), which makes it even cooler.

Hopefully I don't show up to work on Monday with a cast.  That would be less cool.