Respect on the Field

My first introduction to the rugby community was sitting on the couch with my father watching games on tv when I was only 5 living in Argentina. I would go on to a private school where Rugby played a big role, both in school and Argentine culture; I would often go to watch games in person with friends and family. When I moved to the US I kept playing with a local club that would eventually allow me to play in Ireland. This would be the first of many international experiences that I would have with the sport that would display to me something unique about the sport. I kept going through high school and have now joined the Northeastern Rugby team. It wouldn’t be until Highschool where I started to really take notice of a big part of rugby that made it distinct from many other sports. 

I took for granted the post-game meals that we would share with the opposing team, but I would soon come to realize the role that respect took in the game of rugby. I was fortunate enough to have gone to both the soccer world cup in 2014 and then the rugby world cup in 2015. While the intense feeling of competitiveness and rivalry that comes in soccer is exhilarating in many ways, it is something totally different to the experience of a rugby world cup match. Even after your opponent is disqualified in rugby, they will treat you to a handshake and say good game. Very much unlike soccer where rivalries like the one between Brazil and Argentina can lead to grudges that outlast the soccer pitch. 

I never really took the time to figure out the reason behind this respect that is found in the world of rugby, a contact heavy sport which is usually not known for their friendliness between players. I saw this research assignment as a great way to finally figure out where it comes from.