Comments on: 5 Lessons Rugby Taught Me About Fatherhood

By: elkclan

elkclan — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 22:13:08 +0000

Lovely story. I’m a mom and new to rugby. But I’ve been taking my son to rugby and I’ve started playing myself (after a drunken pledge at the club house) My boy’s father lives in the house with us, but he’s usually absent from the game. Since my husband is not a good father or husband, rugby is a great place for my son to learn some of those lessons of boyhood that lead to manhood. Hopefully he won’t see it just as a game that his mum plays!

By: RogerWilco

RogerWilco — Tue, 27 Nov 2012 08:36:19 +0000

The greatest lesson rugby teaches is acceptance of people. From medium hight fat props, short fat hookers, tall lanky locks, normally build flankers, tall built eighth men and thin to medium short to tall back liners, rugby has them all. It’s truly a game for everyone and in South Africa, we learn the bounce from birth and play from 6 years old. My son is 5 and can judge the bounce already, round balls I think confuse him a bit though, the bounce to straight, but that’s why there’s cricket. Nothing beats Super Series rugby (come on February!!!). Oh, and to russ, a lot of time is wasted in walking to line outs and reset scrums, but don’t believe wikipedia in thinking half the game is wasted, watch a New Zealand/South Africa game (when both teams are firing) and tell me there’s wasted time, wasted time is for school boys and finals, not the big 3 unions.

By: Capt. Bob

Capt. Bob — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 20:34:49 +0000

The piece is right on! Fatherhood and Rugby forever!!!

Rugger from the 70′s

By: Russ

Russ — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 11:27:44 +0000

In rugby union I think you will find that the ball is in play is less than half the 80 minutes of the playing time.

A lot of time is spent walking to lineouts & setting & resetting scrums etc.

By: Jeff Basiaga

Jeff Basiaga — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 05:44:31 +0000

Great artical. Thanks from writing it.
May I add: sing with the players after game, and sing to your child?

Jeff B.
UM Rugby 94-98
Father ’09

By: Justin Smith

Justin Smith — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 14:10:27 +0000

Thankyou for this, My Father left when i was 8 years old so i was raised by my mother and had no Positive Male Role Models, When i have Children i want to make sure i can give them the role model i never had, This artical is a great bit of advice on how to do that.

By: Sam

Sam — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 23:38:09 +0000

Great article!
Im not a father but ive been playing rugby competitively since i was aged 8 for a club and during my school years, at least 3/4 times a week during the season with games every Saturday and Sunday. Rugby is a sport id recommend to everyone, it has made me the man i am today, from the action on the pitch to the antics with the lads in the bar afterwards. I still play today and many of the bonds ive made on the pitch are ones that will remain firm for life.

By: Jonathan Manor

Jonathan Manor — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 15:49:12 +0000

did my comment go through?

By: Jonathan Manor

Jonathan Manor — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 15:46:11 +0000

Yeah, i was only scouring through this post and read number 4. But it hit me well. You know a blog post hits you when you start thinking about specific events in your life that you really could’ve done a lot better.

By: Manny

Manny — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 03:44:45 +0000

Thank you for such an amazing article! I played hockey my entire life, from 3 years old through 4 years of NCAA, and this article resonates in the hockey world as well. It is wonderful to see somebody understand all the great life lessons that can be retrieved from team sports, especially a sport as manly and physically demanding as rugby. Thank you for the fantastic insight.