Perhaps its just me, but I can’t wait for the Fifa World Cup to end so we can get back to some bone-crunching action on the rugby field.
Brenden Nel – SuperSport.com
Don’t get me wrong. Fifa’s showpiece has been a magnificent advertisement for this country. It has inspired millions around the world and has had its fair share of drama and spectacle.
As a sporting event I believe we can all agree that it has little equal – at least nothing that rugby could ever match. It has been a wonderful time for the country to prove to everyone how capable we are of hosting massive international sporting events.
But to be honest I’m really footballed out! I’m suffering from – as Andy Marinos put it so perfectly before the Lions tour last season – event fatigue. Our afternoons and evenings have been so dominated by the World Cup that we’ve forgotten that rugby is taking place.
SA Rugby’s tests against Italy were really poor in comparison to the soccer showpiece and the massive win against France was forgotten the next time a Jabulani ball was kicked in anger.
But this week it is different. While the football showpiece reaches its crescendo, rugby will start to roar its way back into our lives. For one I can’t wait.
Peter de Villiers put it mildly when he said he was “tired of the World Cup”. Having to field dozens of questions on a sport that has little to do with you must become quite tiresome. Especially so when you face the team ranked number one in the world at the moment.
So perhaps it might be good to give you the reasons why I think the oval ball beats the round one. Why I can’t wait for a return to bone-crunching rugby action.
1. It’s a real man’s game.
Come on, for all the talk of Oscars being bandied about for dives, or players so injured they get up when they see the ref isn’t taking notice, Rugby is a far better bet for any fan. Rugby players are tough, not overpaid primadonnas who can afford to crash a Ferrari and leave it on the side of a road.
Bakkies Botha drives …you guessed it – a Bakkie. So does Danie Rossouw. These are men who if they get elbowed will deal their own justice. They are men who will thump the offender back, smile about it and have a beer afterwards.
2. An oval ball
Let’s be honest, the bounce of the ball in soccer is predictable. In rugby, its cruel, kind and sometimes just bizarre. It can turn the safest of hands into jelly, it can confuse the fleetest of feet and produce the most skilful art of passing. No contest in my eyes.
3. Scoring
Like cricket, a draw is nothing to write home about. In rugby we rarely see these and if they do make their appearance, like the Currie Cup final of 2006 between the Bulls and Cheetahs, they are passionate, tense and dramatic in their own right.
If you get more than two goals in the average football game, you’ve done well. Rugby is about points, action and moving the game along.
4. Respect for officials
We all don’t like being penalised for an offence we didn’t commit. It is why traffic police aren’t the most popular people in life. But rugby players – apart from the odd chirp – respect match officials.
They may enquire, argue, but once they see a ref has made his mind up, they turn, shake their heads and walk on. They don’t gang up on the ref like football. They don’t run after him shouting and arguing.
5. WAGS
Apart from Joost van der Westhuizen’s post career decisions, and Danny Cipriani in England, no WAG is famous for anything other than supporting her husband. We like this fact.
6. The Haka
Does this one really need an explanation – even from us South Africans?
7. Hooligans
When last did a rugby fan go rampaging through the streets in a foreign country like football’s sort. Ok it does happen, but in minor occasions and not in the mob mentality normally associated with the other game. And if it does, it is usually a rampage to find the bar.
8. Two World Cups
With apologies to our Bafana Bafana brethren, whom we love with all our Vuvuzelas. Rugby is successful, has two World Cups and countless other trophies. That’s gotta count for something.
9. A game where England can win
England have won a World Cup and can win one in future (not if we’ve got anything to do with it). And, especially for English fans out there – it is also a game where England can beat Germany – and thump them as well…
With this in mind, bring on the Absa Currie Cup. Bring on the Vodacom Tri Nations. I can’t wait.
July 5th, 2010 at 1:54 pm
“it is also a game where England can beat Germany”
July 5th, 2010 at 2:32 pm
July 5th, 2010 at 3:10 pm
http://g.sports.yahoo.com/soccer/world-cup/blog/dirty-tackle/post/Spanish-commentator-celebrates-goal-by-having-se?urn=sow,253430
Look at this twab celebrate Spain scoring a goal against Paraguay and he’s just a commentator
I hope the Germans pump them with a 4 goal spanking too…
What a bunch of Morne’s
July 6th, 2010 at 8:33 am
Yip Morne
AgrEE fully
RugbyUnion IS the ultimate game
As most sporting codes are quite competitive my view is that aLL sport is great- the actual game you are watching might suck bigtime- but if two or more weLL coached and dedicated participants wants the glory and its associated bOOty( coz every game has got its WAGS), whether its SoCCer- Cycling – Churling. Some might just not be aPPealing to aLL
If studied properly- exceLLence in that sport can improve RugbyUnion.
On point 9, Yeah bring on the domestiCCtiFF2010, but I thought it only maTTered to the localyokal CuntrycuZZins in Oranje!
July 6th, 2010 at 8:35 am
Hehehe Dawie
der ManschaFFt is lOOking very eFFective!
Pls have a lOOk in the moderation bin- I sEE Akismet have a problem again with Orakeleze!
July 6th, 2010 at 8:36 am
Reply to Ollie @ 1:54 pm:
Not for long oLLie, by 2020 it might have changed aLLready!
July 6th, 2010 at 8:37 am
Reply to WiLLem @ 8:36 am:
I certainly won’t shed any tears when it happens
July 6th, 2010 at 8:38 am
Reply to WiLLem @ 8:33 am:
Maybe it should just type Country CuZZins the QuEEns English way!
July 6th, 2010 at 8:41 am
Reply to Ollie @ 8:37 am:
Along with America, Asia and Afrika( Ok Who did I miSS
) , the most important “growth Area” for rugby Union is the North European Plain.
And Eish, how much wiLL the 57 auldeFarts@HQ enjoy suCCe$$ from that part of the world!
July 6th, 2010 at 8:47 am
Seriously The German Rugby Union might not have the 7.6 million members of the $ oCCer Union or the history and financial clout-, at this moment
BUT
they wiLL be tackling the i$$ue with the same cultural blueprint- now that 7′s is a olympic game!
just remember that the “uDDer 97%” of the Afrikaner gene comes (is there a pun to be excused) – from Dutch and German Stock.
The Germans are also growing Union from the Universities side.
July 6th, 2010 at 8:49 am
Reply to WiLLem @ 8:41 am:
I don’t that Asia and Africa will be a threat to the top 5 in the next 10 years. USA might crack the top 10, doubtful but might.
July 6th, 2010 at 8:57 am
Reply to WiLLem @ 8:47 am:
The History is there! Clubs in heidelberg are 100+ yeras old!
They made an exception for the Euro 2008 and still people were nervouse showing there flags in support
The mustached moron Adolf put an end to rugby for some stupid reason and it has taken all this time to come back. The other problem now is quite ironic.
Hitler got rid of rugby because of its English roots (AFAIK) and now rugby is battling to come back because of its comradery which hits to close to the nazi ideals for many Germans and Austrians.
Anything patriotic is frowned apon over here but the 2006 SWC in germany made a huge breakthrough becuase that was the first time in a looooong time people felt patriotic again and showed it by waving flags! Waving a flag here in Austria is illegal or close to it!
July 6th, 2010 at 9:00 am
Dude I was in Holland recently and it is the first time I’ve been to a foreign country where men are for the most part physically bigger than me.
Our guide for the tour of the dykes (the actual real dykes) was the same size as Jacques Cronje but had stopped playing soccer at school cos his teachers said he had “too much muscle”
He knew of rugby but was amazed when I told him he was perfect size for a pro player. He is now a school teacher who does this tour guide in his spare time… but one can clearly see where the big boere come from…
July 6th, 2010 at 9:00 am
Reply to JT @ 8:57 am:
Did not know that JT
“mustached moron Adolf” agrEE wiFF you there but DawieEs might have rant again!
July 6th, 2010 at 9:02 am
Orakeleze approved by DavidS
July 6th, 2010 at 9:02 am
Reply to DavidS @ 9:00 am:
AgrEE fuLLy Dawie- in 20 years in RugbyUnion terms- De Oranje – might just be a force as weLL- and we are not talking BoemBoys here!
July 6th, 2010 at 9:02 am
Reply to DavidS @ 9:02 am:
Thanks!
July 6th, 2010 at 9:03 am
Reply to WiLLem @ 9:00 am:
No you bastards PDV is the mustachioed moron
Hitler was actually quite a clever dude… just a total cuckoo clock
July 6th, 2010 at 9:04 am
I have copyright on the word “mustachioed moron”!!!!!
July 6th, 2010 at 9:06 am
Reply to WiLLem @ 9:02 am:
don’t get your hopes up! The Union is even worse than the Welsh union! No plan and a
load of internal politics.
together but it is a slow process and money is a big issue.
I can celebrate some Austrian success 
I get this from a friend who is involved at the top level in the Nederlande.
Germany however are getting their
Italy is another union getting more right than wrong at the moment IMO from what I see at the lower leves like Seria C. But Gysie can maybe enlighten us on how things really are run!?
Austria is WAYYYY off the pace but step by step we try and we improve year after year. Maybe when I am also a
July 6th, 2010 at 9:06 am
Reply to DavidS @ 9:04 am:
hehehe
And that is inteLLectual property that you can kEEp safe- boet!
In aLL honesty- Hitler’s “snotvanger” have no chance competing wiFF CoachDiv’s Snor.
Mind you- CoachDiv’s is most likely a closet Tshwanepoel!
July 6th, 2010 at 9:07 am
Reply to DavidS @ 9:04 am:
PdV is the Mustached genius! and to you he is the Meneer mustached genius!!
July 6th, 2010 at 9:08 am
Reply to JT @ 9:06 am:
You know most JT
Ich Bin ein Tyroler!
wil “wave your flag” here in Bloem!
July 6th, 2010 at 9:09 am
Reply to JT @ 9:06 am:
Yip- same problem with the soCCer admin as weLL!
July 6th, 2010 at 9:10 am
Reply to WiLLem @ 9:08 am:
Bisch a Tiroler bisch a Mensch!
July 6th, 2010 at 9:13 am
Reply to JT @ 9:07 am:
No reference to Coach Div
But what do you caLL a crow in a trEE wiFF a machine gun?
MenEEr!
July 6th, 2010 at 9:14 am
Reply to JT @ 9:06 am:
So the fact that the Afrikaner caNNot stand together comes from the Dutch after aLL!
voKKen kAAskoPPe!
July 6th, 2010 at 9:18 am
Reply to WiLLem @ 9:14 am:
bwahahaha!
July 6th, 2010 at 9:20 am
Reply to WiLLem @ 9:14 am:
te veel vingers in gate…
July 6th, 2010 at 9:22 am
The Dutch still use a lot of imported players in their rugby. Although it is a growing sport their I don’t think they will crack the top 10 or 15 for a long time; Too much competition with other sports.
Besides, Belgium is higher in the rankings than the Dutch are.
July 6th, 2010 at 9:24 am
Reply to Ollie @ 9:22 am:
And higher than Germany, for that matter
July 6th, 2010 at 9:25 am
Watch out for the Russians though, as soon as they realise that rugby is not only about the fight and there is good money to be made out of it……
July 6th, 2010 at 9:26 am
Reply to Ollie @ 9:24 am:
and still fooking useless
July 6th, 2010 at 9:27 am
Reply to Ollie @ 9:25 am:
Russians already put in place a development system that is 2nd to none! Thanks to the 7s going Olympic!
July 6th, 2010 at 9:29 am
Reply to Ollie @ 9:25 am:
Yip oLLie
Like I said
North European Plain
although from a geopolitical perspective the Yanks dont like to sEE RuSSIa as part of Europe!
July 6th, 2010 at 9:30 am
Reply to JT @ 9:26 am:
Remind me where Austria is on the rankings again
July 6th, 2010 at 9:30 am
Reply to WiLLem @ 9:29 am:
neither do the Europeans
July 6th, 2010 at 9:30 am
Reply to Ollie @ 9:30 am:
July 6th, 2010 at 9:32 am
Anyway- chat later
July 6th, 2010 at 9:34 am
Reply to JT @ 9:30 am:
Yes I can understand that- but somehow you guys wiLL have to come to terms with those 140 M vodka drinkers!
They nEEd you as much as you nEEd them!