Every team had one - the nutter who sorted out the little skirmishes that inevitably broke out around the contact area. It was usually done on the blind side of the ref, and it wasn't nice. The ubiquitous camera's put a stop to it at international level today, and the imposed decency has filtered down. I'm a touch ashamed that it was usually to yours truly that this unsavoury duty fell during my rugby career. I'm not proud of it. All this stuff came to mind by the juxtaposition of attending an election count in Welshpool today and meeting an old friend, Murray Owen, who is currently President of Newtown RUFC tonight. When I returned to play for Welshpool in the later part of my rugby career, Newtown were the biggest enemy of all. This post is about how I coped with being the 'enforcer' when playing against friends - and its relevance to politics.
The only way was to suspend friendship for the duration of the game. From the moment I left the dressing room, until the final whistle blew, Murray my friend became Murray my enemy. And then he was my friend again. No point in asking him about his family or how the business was going, or what he fancied to drink, when stamping on his toes at a lineout. Its the same with politics. When I'm at the count, its no good trying to have a chat with the Lib Dems. It would only be pretence on both sides. For the duration of the count its more straight forward to look on each other as enemies. When the count is over, normal relations can be resumed. I've learned that the only alternative to this rather brutal demarcation is a longer term breakdown in friendly relations.
That's the thing about sport. It teaches you so much about life.
6 comments:
Talking of rugby players, please can I ask who is likely to be standing for election as MP for Montgomeryshire - do yesterday's results open any doors ? . . . . my first blog entry . . . where do I sign . . . George W
Geosurvey - welcome. This blog welcomes strongly held opinion, and everything is published except libel and comments which are intended to cause personal pain.
I have been selected to contest Montgomeryshire at the next General Election. Yesterday's results were very encouraging for us, and it may have persuaded some to share our view that we can indeed achieve the 13% swing needed.
For my part, hostilities cease at the count, not after it. After all, what is there left to fight about? Instead, discussion tends to turn to the common enemies: delays in starting the count, the media, the Conservatives ...
Frank - fair point, but I can only tell you how I feel. My competetive streak only switches back to neutral, after the last last vote has been counted.
You did very well in Montgomery, It hasn't gone unnoticed in either Cardiff or Westminster, believe you me! It bears out everything posted on your blog. This was an anti Letme Grope-it vote. The smart money is on Glyn Davies to win the seat at the general election. Literally. Onwards and upwards.....
anon - my aim (and several others in Montgomeryshire) has been to change the perception of our Party locally. I strongly believe that the Constituency is instinctively Conservative. Our aim will only be acheived by a total commitment to public service and to transparency in what we do. Sometimes our singlemindedness does make us seem a bit like the awkward squad. We'll do our best to win the General Election, and the Assembly Election after that, but the real ambition is to have Montgomeryshire be proud of its Conservative Party - the rest will follow.
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