Why I'm A Rugger

I’m a rugger. I’ve been one for thirty years now. For those of you unaware, a rugger is a rugby player. I’ve been hooked since my first match in 1978 at Mississippi State University and have never looked back. I have learned much more in Rugby about sportsmanship and honor than I ever learned in baseball, track, football (all of which I played in high school and in recreation) and all other sports I’ve played. Rugby taught me respect for my opposition, and what goes on the pitch (or playing field) stays there.

I continue to learn. Two recent incidents have taught me just how great this sport truly is.

In April, the managing organization of the high school club that I founded and coached, Lugoff-Elgin Rugby Football Club (RFC), released me as their head coach. When I moved to get the parents to form the managing group, it was my intent to ensure that the player’s parents had full control of the club of which their kids were members. While I was upset at my release, I continued to follow the club through its final two matches because it was ‘my’ club and because my son, Ian, played.

Before ‘my’ club’s final match of the year, I volunteered as a match official for another match as a touch judge, and ran touch for that playoff match. The match was well played, but the losing side, a very new club who had yet to understand all that was involved in the sport, came off the field very upset. I made an effort to calm the situation and the team captain mocked me and made somewhat vulgar motions toward me. To my eternal shame and horror, I struck him on his neck with my touch flags.

To this day I don’t know what or why it occurred. I just know that it did. I will regret it till I die. The Palmetto Rugby Union promptly suspended me for a minimum of eight months from any and all activity with Rugby, outside of being a spectator, and placed on me a lifetime suspension from youth Rugby. I applaud their decision. It was clearly the right one and I fully support the decision that was fully vetted by PRU president Bill Bell, South Carolina High School Rugby commissioner Jeff Smolka, and PRU/SCHSR disciplinary chair John Myers. It was undoubtedly the right decision.

I know fully that if I had been a coach for football, soccer, lacrosse, baseball, or any other sport out there, I would likely have received a minor rebuke and perhaps a suspension of two or three games. This would have been likely much less had I been involved with a winning team of any of those sports, such is the state of sports in America today. Nevertheless, I know that USA Rugby is where I still want my sporting dollar to go, because despite my regret and anger at what occurred, the correct decision was rendered.

Then, less than two weeks ago, one of my young ruggers – one of my first in fact – died in a very tragic accident. The team had thrown a surprise party at a lake to send off one of their teammates who was entering the US Navy. There was adult supervision and, like the fine men and women they were, they had no alcohol or anything else that they weren’t supposed to have. The young victim, Tyler Austin Narr, rode there with Ian to the celebration and was quite excited as he had been unable to play any sports due to a severe knee injury, and some attendant complications.

During the party many of the ruggers went swimming, as did Tyler. He suddenly went under in full view of many people and never resurfaced. Ruggers and many others nearby attempted to find him, but couldn’t. It was a diver who recovered him some time later that day. It was a traumatic and tragic day for all involved, obviously.

He was a wonderful young man, who had just returned to high school for his junior year. He played football, wrestled, lifted weights competitively, and played Rugby, all while maintaining a ‘B’ average. And he was the spitting image of Scooby-Doo’s Shaggy.

He so loved Rugby that his mom asked the team to act as pall bearers. The funeral was packed. The team wore slacks and their club jerseys. Some of the football team acted as honorary pall bearers. And, showing all what Rugby is truly about, opposing players from another club, Sumter RFC, also showed up wearing their jerseys, all to honor a fellow rugger. It was a wonderful and touching tribute, and a credit to their coach John Etheridge.

This, all this, along with many other things, is why Rugby is my sport. It will always be. And while I clearly have regrets, two of which are very recent, I will never regret that I was, am, and will always be a rugger.