About Windsor Rugby
Welcome to Windsor Rugby Football Club,
You will find so many drawn to the game because they want to try something different, something exciting and new, and something that others may be just a bit fearful of. If that is not necessarily why they come to the game, they soon find a certain perverse pleasure in watching and listening to people's reactions when they tell them, "I play rugby."
Most often the listener gets a strange look on their face, or grimace, and say, "Rugby, that's pretty rough, isn't it?" "Yeah, kinda," the rugger responds, as they look you up and down and wonder what manner of person is this?!.
This, then, results in the statement changing from "I play rugby," to, "I am a rugby player." A subtle but important difference as the first phrase states what one does, the second defines who one is. Simply (and frequently) put, Rugby is not a game, it is a life style. Its essence is not drawn simply from the physical competition on the pitch, but also from camaraderie that develops from sharing such an uncommon--common bond. It starts on the field but is reinforced during the post-game gatherings when opponents break bread and toast each other with drink and song.
The party is a celebration not just for the victors, but also for the vanquished (and a chance for a redemption of sorts). It is a unique endeavor in athletics. Whereas Vince Lombardi spoke for most competitive sport when he said, "Winning isn't everything, it is the only thing," the rugger, who still wishes to win, values the test of competition and the spirit of the game even more. So perhaps it can all be reduced to a bumper sticker after all, "IN RUGBY THERE ARE NO WINNERS, ONLY SURVIVORS." And we survive well together, teammates and foes alike.
Sincerely,
President