Nekkid Rugby in NZ

http://www.aolnews.com/weird-news/article/nude-rugby-is-a-ball-for-players-and-fans-alike/19527289

Only One Ball Counts in Nude Rugby
David Moye
Contributor

(June 24) -- Rugby is tough enough when you're clothed, but it's even
harder when you're naked.

But that may just be the selling point of the annual nude rugby match at
Logan Park in Dunedin, New Zealand.

The seventh annual event was held June 19, and the freewheeling (and
free-balling) contest attracted around 2,500 fans, willing to spend the
first day of winter watching a very stiff competition between the
undefeated Nude Blacks and the visiting Welsh Leeks.

Wait, What?

Players compete in a nude rugby game at Logan Park on June 19 in
Dunedin, New Zealand. A naked rugby match is a traditional prelude to a
New Zealand All Blacks Test match in Dunedin against a visiting team.

The prize? A toilet seat trophy.

The event is the brainchild of Ralph Davies, who told Perthnow.com.au
that nude rugby was in keeping with the student-dominated city.

"Dunedin students are well known for getting their kit off and running
around, so that's how the idea really became, and it's just blown out of
all proportion since then," Davies said.

Although some folks might be offended by the idea, Davies said every
effort is made to keep the game -- and the players -- clean and tidy.

"It's not a nudie perve, it's a kick and giggle," he said.

The event actually ties together two separate but equal events: National
Nude Day and a test match against a local team by the All Blacks, a
rugby team in New Zealand that is as popular in Kiwi country as the New
York Yankees, Dallas Cowboys or Los Angeles Lakers are in the U.S.

Rugby is a brutal sport, and players don't wear nearly the amount of
padding that football players do, so playing completely naked is
obviously even more difficult. Despite that, Davies said there haven't
been any serious injuries since the very first tournament.

"One guy did pop a shoulder once, but apparently this frequently
happened, and it was popped back in and he went on to score a try,"
Davies said in an e-mail interview with AOL News.

"One lady in the crowd did get in the way of a tackled player out of
play and was bundled over, but no damage. I am not sure if she
appreciated the hugs from the players to see if she was OK. But I think
the smile on her face presumed all was OK."

Considering the game took place on the first day of the New Zealand
winter, it might seem that wind chill could be as much of a danger as an
untimely kick in the wedding tackle. Luckily, that was not the case this
year.

"[We had] brilliantly fine conditions -- a balmy winter's afternoon in
Dunedin [64 degrees] was a far cry from the frozen beach for the first
match in 2002, which was around [37 degrees]," Davies said.

But there were some problems. For instance, every year the event is
plagued by some spectator who insists on streaking while wearing
clothes. Inevitably, this scofflaw is arrested by a naked constable.
This year, a woman fan chose to get in on the fun.

"This year, we had a totally random woman drop her kit and run on to the
field to the delight of everyone, including the players as she kissed
and hugged them," Davies said. "She carried on to take part in a
line-out and score a try of her own."

Although playing nude might be a deal breaker for some teams, Davies
said he's never had a problem finding teams willing to do it. But even
if he did, he has that covered.

"We've never had any cancellations," he said. "A core group of Dunedin
University students -- or 'Scarfies' -- makes up the Nude Blacks, and
they can provide extras if we get short on the visiting team."

This year, the Nude Blacks once again won the trophy, and now, according
to the Sydney Morning Herald, the team already anticipates next year's
nude rugby World Cup.

"We know what the Scots wear under their kilts, so we can expect an
interesting matchup for that fixture,'' Davies said.

Since the Nude Blacks don't wear britches, there's no chance of the team
getting too big for them. Davies understands the appeal of nude rugby is
based on its now-you-see-it, now-you-don't quality.

"I think if it was held every week, the interest would wane," he said.
"So we only pull it out once a year as a precursor to the big matches
and thus maintain the interest and fascination of the public.

2010's First Matches

Well, we finally got to play on Saturday, and here's what I saw/heard:

9-U: I refereed, and you guys did great. We still have to remember that rugby is not keep-away, that unlike football you don't run away from the opposition, you run directly toward them to bring the defense in to create space for your teammates. Our control and passing was good, as was our communication. And it was clear everyone was having fun.

11-U: I refereed this one, too. Still playing a little bit too much magnetball on defense, everyone crowding to the ball to get into the action. Then the opposition makes two passes out, and it's off to the races. That killed us on Saturday. Our ball control on offense was good, but too many players still running sideways instead of straight ahead.

13-U: I refereed this one, too. Almost everybody was standing right outside the action, waiting for the ball to come to him, and therefore we didn't do or get anything; the other team got into the action, they got the ball, and they scored, over and over. Hardly anyone wanted to go into the rucks or mauls, and we therefore lost almost every single one. We had no heart, no aggression, and no grrr, 11 guys all playing their own individual game instead of playing like a team. We finally started to get into the game in the 3rd period, and were doing well, but our defense, and lack of desire to close with the offense and tackle someone, doomed us.

15-U: Very impressive start, guys. We got good help from BRYC, and took it to Warrenton. Our guys did great, even though the scoring was all by BRYC players. We were best at defense, with some really, really good hard, safe tackling. Our offense was lacking, as too many of us are still unsure, not confident with the ball in our hands, and we therefore made a number of blind, panicked passes.

17-U: I heard good things about ball control and team play, and we won.

Girls Tackle: I also heard good things about teamwork, and unselfish play. I heard they were good on defense, with good, hard, safe tackling.

Keep it up, team. Only a month to go.

Playing the Celtic Fest

Well, I have to admit I was disappointed by the Fort Hunt turnout at the Potomac Celtic Fest in Leesburg this past Saturday. In all, out of 77 registered players, we had six Fort Hunt Rugby players in attendance--and good on them, too. Thank you, Victoria, JT, James, Andrei, Alexandra, and Max for coming out and supporting your club. Thank you, too, to two Aidens (a litle brother and a buddy) for joining us and learning about rugby. We even got some mom/dad participation in there, which was great for the kids. You dedicated players will get a token of thanks at practice this coming week.

And as always, thanks to the moms and dads who got their players out to the demonstration.

That being said, it was optional after all, so I really can't get too upset about folks not being there.

It was a good time, though, a warm day out at the festival, with lots of cool stuff to see and do.

Yes, we do plan on doing this again next year, folks.

Tuesday Miscellaneous

Saw Invictus on Friday night, and I pronounce it a good film. It's not a rugby movie, as it's not the story of rugby. Rugby is the glue that holds it together, as Mandela finds a way to start to unite black and white behind a common effort, the Springboks' quest to win the 1995 Rugby World Cup. The film is about leadership and vision, and how that kind of faith and inner strength can genuinely change things, can make things happen.

Another great movie, in which rugby plays a role, is Forever Strong. This is a values movie, about a selfish punk who becomes a part of something bigger than himself, and finds the strength in team, instead of always playing on his own. This movie is also about leadership, making hard yet correct decisions, being honorable and honest, and staying true to yourself, your family and your team. This is a fantastic film for all rugby players, and is a great father-and-son movie.

The weather this week promises to be wacky; I don't know if we'll get to practice tonight. Stay alert, and check the website and your emails for updates.

The parents meeting we missed last Thursday has been moved to this coming Thursday, 7:00pm at Dave Poulin Field (Collingwood Park).

Tackle players: start reviewing the website links on the ruck and maul, and on off-sides. We're losing practice days to the weather, so if you do your homework ahead of time, it will save us a lot of explaining during practices.