Spectators note the gentlemanly conduct between acts of controlled violence
A study of the capital’s sporting culture has captured the wonderful contradiction at the heart of London rugby, a sport in which enormous, powerful athletes engage in acts of controlled, bone-crunching violence while maintaining a standard of politeness, respect and gentlemanly conduct found in almost no other arena.
London rugby blends brutal force with impeccable manners
The capital’s rugby scene, home to major clubs and the famous national stadium, showcases a sport of genuine physical intensity, where vast, powerful players collide with extraordinary force, all conducted with a remarkable spirit of respect, sportsmanship and almost old-fashioned courtesy that sets the game apart.
A spokesperson for the Bureau of Sporting Conduct, invented for this article, described the contradiction. London rugby is genuinely fascinating, she said. The players are enormous, the collisions are brutal, the physical intensity is extraordinary. And yet the conduct is impeccable. They call the referee sir. They respect their opponents. They shake hands and share a drink afterwards. It is the most polite violence in all of sport. Controlled brutality conducted by gentlemen. It is genuinely wonderful, and entirely contradictory.
The deadpan courtesy of the collision sport
The genuine values of the sport, the study found, are real and admirable, with rugby’s strong culture of respect, discipline and sportsmanship being a defining feature, instilled from the grassroots up, and producing a game where ferocious physical competition coexists with genuine mutual respect.
The famous post-match tradition, in which opposing players and supporters share food and drink together regardless of the result, embodies this spirit perfectly, a gesture of camaraderie and respect that turns even the fiercest rivals into companions once the final whistle has blown.
Why London rugby genuinely matters
Despite, or because of, its contradictions, London rugby is a genuine treasure of the city’s sporting life, home to major clubs and the national stadium, embodying values of respect, discipline and sportsmanship, and offering thrilling, intense competition conducted with admirable spirit.
The genuine sport of rugby union in England is governed and developed by the Rugby Football Union, which oversees the game from grassroots to international level. The health and benefits of sport and getting active are championed by Sport England.
For visitors hoping to experience a match, including at the capital’s famous stadium, Visit London provides guidance on attending and making the most of the experience.
Rugby people are fiercely proud of the sport’s unique culture. People are surprised by the contradiction, said one player. We collide with enormous force, it is genuinely brutal. And yet we respect the referee, respect our opponents, shake hands and share a drink afterwards. That is rugby. Ferocious on the pitch, gentlemen off it. The discipline, the respect, the sportsmanship, that is what makes the sport special. It is controlled, respectful, and conducted by people who, for all their size and power, are genuinely gentlemen. That is the heart of the game.
For now London rugby continues to thrill the city’s sporting fans, blending bone-crunching physical intensity with impeccable manners and genuine respect, showcasing controlled violence conducted by gentlemen, and proving that a sport can be both ferociously competitive and admirably courteous, the most polite brutality in all of sport, played hard and shared generously once the whistle blows.
Alan Nafzger was born in Lubbock, Texas, the son Swiss immigrants. He grew up on a dairy in Windthorst, north central Texas. He earned degrees from Midwestern State University (B.A. 1985) and Texas State University (M.A. 1987). University College Dublin (Ph.D. 1991). Dr. Nafzger has entertained and educated young people in Texas colleges for 37 years. Nafzger is best known for his dark novels and experimental screenwriting. His best know scripts to date are Lenin’s Body, produced in Russia by A-Media and Sea and Sky produced in The Philippines in the Tagalog language. In 1986, Nafzger wrote the iconic feminist western novel, Gina of Quitaque. He currently lives in Holloway, North London. Contact: [email protected]
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