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.
Quote from: Simon Page on September 19, 2023, 11:39:20 AMI 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.
Quote from: pauliewalnuts on September 19, 2023, 12:05:57 PMQuote from: Simon Page on September 19, 2023, 11:39:20 AMI 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 jacketsOi....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.
Wow Newcastle are quite dull