I've never been much of a fan of watching sports on television. I religiously watched figure skating competitions in elementary and middle school and very much enjoy attending live sporting events, but sitting at home on my couch watching little dots run around on the screen has never held my interest.
While rugby hasn't really caught on in the United States, it is a popular sport throughout the rest of the world. The Rugby World Cup is held every four years, and England was the defending champion from the games in 2003. Though they were defeated 0 to 36 by South Africa in preliminary rounds, the English team came back to beat France two weeks ago and earned their way into the final match, once again against South Africa.
I had never seen a rugby game before, but we all decided to fully partake and get into the English spirit by dressing up in the team colors of red and white and going to a pub to watch the finals. The pubs were completely packed to the point that it was difficult to stand upright at times, and we stood in a mob, all staring at the screen up on the wall. At one point, it looked as though England has scored, and the pub went crazy! Glasses were thrust into the air, showering the crowd with beer. All I could do was cover my head as the sticky liquid rained down and continued to drip from the ceiling for some time after the ruckus. Though I ended up wet, the dousing somehow made the whole experience feel more complete. Unfortunately England lost 6-15, but it was still a fun night, and I enjoyed sharing in the excitement and love of the game with the English.
Jonny Wilkinson, star of the English rugby team
English rugby players celebrating after winning the World Cup in 2003
Jonny Wilkinson...there is more than one reason why we loved watching the Rugby World Cup...
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