A rugby white lie

After an exciting day of exploring Durban’s Indian quarter with my friend Happiness, we took a taxi bus back to UKZN and proceeded to walk home. Passing the Kwazulu-Natal varsity athletic field, I stopped dead in my tracks: there was a full-sided, well-supplied rugby practice going on. I tore down towards the pitch and approached the man who I knew, without asking, was the head coach – his presence and voice exuded an unquestioned sense of authority and charge. With a couple of harmless white lies, I convinced him that I was studying abroad at the University and he subsequently invited me out to have a trial practice.

Sprinting back home, Happiness laughing at my childlike glee in getting a chance to play formal, contact, South African rugby, I picked up my gear and was back at the pitch in minutes. Again, and perhaps much more so than in my previous South African touch rugby experiences, I was blown away by the sheer talent and knowledge on the players assembled on the field. On defense everyone advanced in a perfect, gap-less line, making swift tackles that were immediately followed by efficient two-man rucking. On offense, the line was spread the width of the field, players cutting and shifting positions as the ball swiftly traveled between players’ hands. It was truly a sight to behold, such incredible power and speed combined with unmatched organization and structure. I was definitely below the talent bar of most of the players, but the coach appreciated my effort and invited me back out to practice on Wednesday. Looking forward to it!