So who wants to buy me presents?

If anyone wants to buy me rugby stuff... My favorites are "Run like a girl - throw like a girl - tackle like a girl" "Try me! Women's Rugby" "My girlfriend rucks better than yours" "I hurt it playing rugby" this one, "My mom could tackle your mom!" "My daughter is a hooker" This one, "Ruck it" Let's Hit the Maul, Real Women Drive Rucks, and Congratulations! It's a rugby injury! cards.

And some more - this one and Rossie the Rugger and Lipstick Forward (ha! I hope you get this).

So the rugby game yesterday was good. We played two 40 min games against the Furies and the Maryland Stingers, and did fairly well considering they're both much more advanced teams than us. I personally played okay - I need to work on making my tackles, I definitely missed some and a good number were pretty messy.

As far as injuries, I ended up quite well - I got a bloody nose and knocked myself silly (I had to take a knee in the middle of the field until my eyes uncrossed), but got few bruises and scrapes and I'm not even that sore today. Just one shoulder and where I bashed my nose (by the way, after the game yesterday I went back to my room and iced my FACE. I find that really amusing).

I love rugby, and rugby loves me (abusively)

Yesterday, I finally finally finally got to PLAY RUGBY, and it was brilliant.

Our game was vs. Drexel, on the same pitch as our first game last year. The weather was pretty cold and windy; the cold wasn't too bad, as it was sunny and I was wearing spandex pants and long sleeves, but the wind was miserable, especially when it picked up dust from the field and threw into our faces (dirt in my eyes, my nose, my mouth, my ears... yuck).

First we played two 40 minute halves A side, then 20 minutes B side vs Drexel, then 20 minutes B side vs GW.

I got to play the whole A side game (at wing) and the whole 20 minutes vs Drexel's B side (at outside center).

That's 100 minutes of rugby. And I played it ALL. Without breaking myself at all*! I did pretty well, too - much better than I was expecting. I guess that whole season of just watching really paid off - I almost always knew where I was supposed to be and what was going on. Now I just need to work on making my tackles and passing (and catching) the ball.

But I did get some good tackles in (the one that banged up my hand was pretty nice, actually, and another one I tackled a girl so hard that even though I landed on top of her, the momentum rolled us over and she kind of landed on my head and neck), and even though I didn't get the ball that often, when I did get it I didn't fuck up too much. PLUS I ended up in two different mauls, one of which I was actually the person with the ball, and those were intense.

As far as the team overall, we did really well - we beat Drexel's A side 19-10, and even though both B sides lost, a lot of rookies were playing their first game and the teams we were playing weren't totally B sides. As far as playing, we're doing AMAZING - not perfect by any means, but we've got a good chance of making a good showing in playoffs!

After the game, I went back to my room intending to do some homework, but ended up collapsing in bed reading National Geographic and watching whatever Anna was watching. I didn't get too tired during the 100 minutes I was playing, but afterwards I was totally beat.

Today, I woke up very sore, but not too bruised (outside of my right hand, which looks like I punched something hard). And, of course, completely euphoric - rugby is just Awesome. With a capital A. And now I get to play it all the time, not just watch.

*Notwithstanding the fact that my right index finger is swollen and bruised at the first joint and knuckle, and I have it taped to my pinkie to prevent myself from typing with it. IT'S NOT BROKEN, DAMMIT, IT WILL GET BETTER.

WHAT?!

HOLY SHIT.

So, about an hour ago, I checked my email and found a message from Deanna (our coach) listing selections. Opening it, I found -

I am starting A side in our game tomorrow.

Holy monkey Jesus on a pogo stick.

I have never, never, NEVER started before*. In every sport I've ever played, I've been one of the worst players on the team.

And tomorrow, I'm STARTING A SIDE at wing.

AND playing the whole game.

And playing outside center for at least part of a B side game.

First I was stunned. Then I started screaming. Then I called Carmen. I think I would've had a heart attack except then I wouldn't have been able to play.

I can't believe it.


To finish this up... here's my rugby face:



Note the unwashed state, the bandana covering my scary hair, and the big scratch above my eye. That last is what happens when you try to tackle someone's cleats with your face. Not advisable.




*Unless you count senior night for volleyball, but that was only because I was a senior, not because I had any skills. At all.

Foreign rugby!

So I looked up "rugby" on the WWWJDIC Japanese Dictionary and it gave me three words for rugby:

ラグビー (ragubii): "rugby"
アメラグ (ameragu): abbreviation of "american rugby"
ノーサイド (nohsaido): "no side"

It's the third one that amuses me. Is rugby really so messy that the Japanese refer to it as the game without sides? Or is it a reference to the sense of community present off the pitch between all rugby players, even those from opposing teams?

I may never know.

The Olympics and Thursday

First, the Olympics: I love them. I would never watch them on my own, but if someone else has them on, I'm glued to it. And of course Anna's had the pretty skating people on anytime she can, so of course I've been watching.

The Olympics always really get to me. I get all choked up and emotional, so even the commercials will bring tears to my eyes.

But honestly, isn't it awesome? How people from around the world come together, share in the victories and the defeat... how once someone's out there on the ice (or the slopes, or the field, or the court, or the track, etc.) it barely matters what nationality someone is, and you can't tell if they're from your country or anywhere else in the world just by watching them skate. Sport is an international language, probably even more so than music.

And when I'm done getting my global pride on, I start getting all patriotic: I love that the US competitors are so international themselves. Individuals of all histories and ethnicities and races are up there competing for the old red-white-and-blue; one of the pair skaters got his U.S. citizenship just in time for the games. Y'know?

So it never fails: watching the Olympics, I get all choked up and teary-eyed so easily, it's ridiculous and embarassing. But there you are. It's a beautiful thing.

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

And then, Thursday.

Thursday is generally my hell day. I've got class, break (during which I usually cram in the rest of my art homework), art class, hurry to rugby practice, team TDR dinner, shower, a short break, and class.

Today, however, wasn't that bad. I enjoyed the art work I crammed in last minute, and in class the TA (who is AWESOME) taught instead of Professor Ass Crack (who was beautifully absent). Then Nips and I left early to get to RUGBY PRACTICE not horribly late, and practice was full of tackling drills - and the PUSHUP DRILL!!! (Which is sort of like a series of very short rugby scrimmages - it's about as close to a real game as you get in practice).

It makes me so unbelievably incredibly happy to be able to do contact again. After a whole season of just watching rugby, with only one week of experience playing (during which I was utterly, utterly befuddled as to what was going on), and now I get to be completely back in, a real player, rolling around in the dirt, running into/through people... it just makes me feel so amazing.

Rugby love

Yesterday I went to this rugby-specific workout in Dupont that was kind of the MOST AMAZING THING EVER. It was $10, but it was soooo worth it. It was the perfect workout - it tired me out, but not so much that it killed me (I followed it up with an ab workout, running a mile, and then went out to Dupont for Adventures with the crew), we did a variety of things (sprints, rucking, jumping/hoppy things for your legs, things good for your arms), and best of all it was all aimed towards rugby!

Also, Deanna at one point commented that I was quite bouncy. This was followed by a considering look, after which she declared that she thought she might make me a flanker. That is, a forward. This is a proposition I view with both trepadation and excitement. I mean, I'd get to scrum! On the other hand... I'd be in scrums. Y'know.