Isn’t it dangerous to not wear any pads? A question that American Football fans have asked me way too often. While these two sports may share some similarities with how physical they both are, the respect that is involved from the fans to the players talk to the referees.
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 still have vivid memories of being on my dad's shoulders as I would watch the players in Maroon, my local team’s color, in what seemed to be an organized dance of passes, runs and collisions. A couple years later I would go on to a private school where Rugby played a big role in the school’s culture; here is where I would have my first real rugby practices. Although I was only there for a year, it gave me a taste for rugby that would inspire me to keep playing.
When I moved to the US, I kept my rugby journey going by joining a local league that was set up and run by an argentine family. This club would later allow me to play in Ireland, which would be the first of many international experiences that would show me the respect the sport endured around the world. I eventually kept playing throughout high school and have now joined the Northeastern Rugby team. It wouldn’t be until high school where I started to really take notice of the respect that surrounded the sport. When players from other sport like soccer, where it is a common occurrence to talk back at the referee, where trying out rugby, it took them some time to get adjusted to the behavior that was expected of a player on the field.
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 are 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.Â