Watching the Rugger
October 19, 2007
I’m not much of a sports fan and if you ever see me in person you’ll guess that straight away - but I do enjoy watching rugby every now and then - partly because I played it a little while at school but mainly because it IS fun to watch.
Unlike football which is just a bunch of blokes running up and down a field chasing after a bit of of circular leather.
With rugby something is happening most of the time and, although the game is more violent than football, it’s still a considerable amount more civilised.
In fact how does the quote go “football is a gentleman’s sport played by thugs whereas rugby is a thugs sport played by gentlemen”.
And I think this comes in no small part with thanks to the brilliant rugby referees who aren’t as far up their own arses as most football refs.
In fact, and I’m worried about posting this link in case you think this blog is a Clarkson love-fest - but he has said just the right thing again.
He says of rugby referes “instead of wading into the melee and showering the participants with red cards, simply asks everyone to calm down, pauses while the more badly injured have their noses and ears sewn back on, and then restarts the game.”
And makes the most brilliant comment about football referees I’ve ever read - much better than “where’s your glasses ref” or “the referees a wanker” that you get on football terraces.
Clarkson says in his Sunday Times Column: “Compare this attitude with the homosexual nonsense we see in football. Flick someone’s earlobe in a game of football and some jumped-up little gnome, sweating like a rapist, will mince over and order you off the pitch.”
I just loved the idea of football refs as jumped-up little gnomes. He also describes them as hiding “behind meaningless day jobs in PC World, emerging only on a Saturday like a troop of SuperNazis with their too-tight Hitler Youth shorts and their silly whistles.”
The only thing I know is - I’m watching the rugby this Saturday and, yes I hope England win, but if they don’t I’ll still be celebrating.
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