Weekend Update: Rugby Rugby Rugby

Last weekend, I went to the Six Nations match at Twickenham and got the itch to play some rugby again. With that in mind, I got in touch with Ealing squad about playing this weekend with their social side. Turns out they needed someone to play weak-side flanker which is my favorite position.

UPDATE: For rugby info, Ealing has posted a match report

Of course, it poured rain on Friday night so the pitch was soaked. Cold and wet is apparently the only way to play here. I must have been a bit optimistic by even packing my firm ground cleats. The match was fun and my knee held up surprisingly well for the full 80 minutes. I made a couple of great plays (and even scored once) and a couple of really dumb plays. All in all, they seemed happy to have me and even asked me to play with hem again if I could. The drink up was fun and much more civil than my Wake Forest daze days. I left from there and went to a Crossfit BBQ at CrossFit Central London.

Another tube trip across town and I met up with some friends for a drink in Notting Hill. Then, exhausted, I went home. Fin.

On the bright side, they have asked me to play again this weekend. And I don't have to practice!


On a fun note, try The Aggression Questionnaire

Weekend Update: Six Nations Rugby

Fun weekend around London. I got together with a big group of friends for some tacos and beer on Friday night at Taqueria and then some drinks in and around Notting Hill. It went a bit later than we planned as we had a big day ahead of us.

Saturday was awesome. Stew, JJ, Burgess and I got tickets to the England-Italy match for the Six Nations rugby tournament. This was my first live international rugby match and it was a sight to behold. Twickenham is the English national team's rugby stadium and it is beautiful. Here is a stock photo. I'll try to upload one from my camera later.

Burgess and I talked rugby while JJ and Stew just took in the sights. I ended up betting a kid in front of me that the US will make a World Cup final in 12 years. I really do think its a better sport than American football. Two forty minute halves are completed with only a short halftime break. No TV timeouts, no stoppage of play. Way more spectator friendly. We just need to get the athletes to buy into it.

The only down side is that it really made me miss playing, which is not a good idea given the state of affairs with me knee.

It was a long day with lots of fun and plenty of beer. Sunday was largely recovery.

It's really too bad this is fake

Hat tip Deadspin