Other Games - 2023/24

[pauliewalnuts]

I always found it striking how many rugby union players were coppers, public school alumni and military types. Explains the deference to the ref, love of a hierarchy and man-groping misogyny.

Rugby in Wales is for the working classes, in England it has always been the type you describe - watched by middle class twats in Barbour jackets

[paul_e]

I always found it striking how many rugby union players were coppers, public school alumni and military types. Explains the deference to the ref, love of a hierarchy and man-groping misogyny.

Rugby in Wales is for the working classes, in England it has always been the type you describe - watched by middle class twats in Barbour jackets

I guarantee this isn't the case at most levels of rugby. In the past it was true at the top level but that was a quirk of the amateur game that has been drifting away for years. Now the academies at most of the top clubs are full of working class kids and the public school boys are being pushed further down the ladder in the main.

I don't think the deference to the ref is anything to do with the make-up of the teams though because it's true across almost every country that plays, many of which have very different routes into the game to the stereotype in England.

[UK Redsox]

I always found it striking how many rugby union players were coppers, public school alumni and military types. Explains the deference to the ref, love of a hierarchy and man-groping misogyny.

Rugby in Wales is for the working classes, in England it has always been the type you describe - watched by middle class twats in Barbour jackets

Oi....in South West England, it's the same as Wales.

My local team's glory years (when we made Rugby Special on the TV) had a side full of builders, farmers and especially scaffolders*.
There was one accountant, but he was very much an outlier.

*If you want decent amateur rugby players, always look for scaffolders.

[Risso]

I guarantee this isn't the case at most levels of rugby. In the past it was true at the top level but that was a quirk of the amateur game that has been drifting away for years. Now the academies at most of the top clubs are full of working class kids and the public school boys are being pushed further down the ladder in the main.

I don't think the deference to the ref is anything to do with the make-up of the teams though because it's true across almost every country that plays, many of which have very different routes into the game to the stereotype in England.

Not at all sure about that Paul. The main England team is still mainly full of players who went to public school at some point in their education, and if you look at this list of U18 players https://www.englandrugby.com/news/article/england-u18-men-squad-named-for-france-in-south-africa then most of the schools listed are either public schools, or at the very least grammar schools or other state schools with a strong bias towards rugby. Private schools are still very keen to get all the good young rugby players to come to them, and they spend a lot of energy doing so.

I mentioned on the rugby thread my mate's son who is absolutely brilliant for his age. He's been "tapped up" for want of a better phrase by lots of schools like Millfield and Kirkham. When Dylan Hartley retired, he spent a time after working for Stowe, trying to get good young players to go there. The situation's getting better in that the kids' clubs round here (Leics and Northants area) have a higher proportion of kids from state schools than they did previously, but they're still at a disadvantage a lot of the time because lots of schools just don't play rugby at all, so those kids are training once a week whereas kids at private school are playing twor or three times a week in games and inter-school matches on top of that.

[Simon Page]

You're all special constables and PCSOs with a fondness for close contact and doffing your caps to authority. It's fine, each to their own.

You weirdos.

[astonvilla82]

I always found it striking how many rugby union players were coppers, public school alumni and military types. Explains the deference to the ref, love of a hierarchy and man-groping misogyny.

Rugby in Wales is for the working classes, in England it has always been the type you describe - watched by middle class twats in Barbour jackets

Oi....in South West England, it's the same as Wales.

My local team's glory years (when we made Rugby Special on the TV) had a side full of builders, farmers and especially scaffolders*.
There was one accountant, but he was very much an outlier.

*If you want decent amateur rugby players, always look for scaffolders.

The type that climb all over you and the referee should clamp down on, rugby is a game that is poles apart from the working class

[Dante Lavelli]

I get pissed off every time I see a foul throw. Zero advantage is gained but I remember getting constantly pinged as a kid.

[Villa in Denmark]

No-one else watching the toon in the most one sided 0-0 I've watched on ages?

Forza Milan.

[ASHTONVILLA]

Watching PNE play Blues. I note the away end has about 50 fans at most in it. Preston are top of the league so hoping to see them continue that form.

I hate rugby, but I a wearing one of my Barbour jackets as it’s bee pissing down all day. I did change out of my wellies before I came here though.

[VILLA MOLE]

Wow Newcastle are quite dull

[N'ZMAV]

Wow Newcastle are quite dull

we must have a mega off day to let 5 in the net to them

[villadelph]

Wow Newcastle are quite dull

..played scared.

[Bad English]

All this talk of rugger is giving me an urge to drink a pint of my neighbour's piss then light a couple of farts.

[ADVILLAFAN]

Not great from Preston so far.

[AV84]

Dull as f**k but that's not a bad result for Newcastle. Bore a draw away and hope for a couple of home wins might see them through.