High School Rugby

Rugby is one of the two most popular sports in South Africa (the other being cricket). The Rugby World Cup was just getting underway when we first arrived in South Africa in June, 2007. Friends helped us to get a handle of the game’s rules as we cheered the Springboks on to victory – they brought home the gold trophy with a win over England in the final.

Just as many boys in the U.S. grow up playing one or several of the typical American sports – basketball, soccer, baseball, and football – the same is true in this country, except that rugby and cricket are the sports of choice. However, on the high school level it seems that rugby is the more popular of the two. For example, the school pictured here has 21 teams!

A friend of ours coaches one of the teams at Rondebosch Boys High School, located just a kilometer from us. So on a recent Saturday morning we walked down to RBHS for the first game of the rugby season. Unfortunately they did not emerge victorious, but it was great fun to breathe in the autumn air and join with hundreds of others in urging on 22 youngsters as they bashed into each other sans pads, helmets, or any other protective gear (Yikes! When I put it like that, it’s a rather scary thought…although I doubt American football is much safer, even with its added padding). I always loved autumn in the U.S., for that brought both the beautiful colors and crisp air of the season but also football. While it is an adjustment to experience autumn in April, I won’t have a problem appreciating this staple of the South African sporting landscape.