Rrrrrugby!!!
Contents
3. The Scottish Side 4. The Irish Side 5. The Six Nations 6. How To Survive Watching Your First Rugby Match 7. Hot Trumps 9. Rugby Jokes
Contributors
Romain Ricchi (Cover Design) Joseph Meaden Kathryn Stevenson Harriet Johnston Kate Whitaker Lucy Keown Kirsty McKenzie Claire Flynn The opinions expressed in this publication do not represent those of Glasgow University Union.
A Word From The Editor...
It is Six Nations time at GUU and Scotland are about to play their first match of the tournament against Ireland. No doubt the Union will be flooded with blue and green supporters for the game so we thought we’d go all out this year with the game being shown in both our beloved Beer Bar and on the big screen in the Debates Chamber, with a bottle bar also open upstairs. With Irish and Scottish Pints of Fun at only £4.20 and the chance to win a Scottish rugby top, simply by buying a pint of Caledonia Best, it is sure to be a great day! Kick off is at 3pmdon’t miss out! In the mean time, the GUU Libraries Committee have made this booklet to celebrate all things rugby. Whether you are a die hard sports fan or not there is something for you in here. Enjoy! Claire Flynn Editor-In-Chief GUU Convener Of Libraries
The Scottish Side
-Joseph Meaden
The first game, against Ireland, is critical. Scotland was victorious last year, but only by a narrow margin. Getting off to a good start would be a huge boost for the side, and if they can do that then who knows what could happen? It would be an uphill struggle if Scotland lose their first game. However, the squad is looking strong. We’ve got Kelly Brown, Richie Gray, Greig Laidlaw - all playing well at the moment. Laidlaw was the most accurate kicker in the Six Nations last year. Plus we still have our powerhouse, Sean Lamont. Stuart Hogg is also back from injury- he is probably our best player at the moment and was one of the three Scotland players called up for the 2013 Lions tour squad. The game on Sunday is taking place in Dublin. Scotland captain, Kelly Brown said “any away game in the Six Nations will be hostile so we are expecting that but at the end of the day it is down to
15 against 15. We have not won our first game for a number of years so if we can start well then we can build some momentum”. It’s been an interesting story for Scotland when they’ve played Ireland over the years. Since 1877 Scotland has beaten Ireland 65 times, with Ireland beating Scotland 57 times and there have been 5 draws. Scotland’s biggest win was in 1997 with a score of 38 10. Six years later, in 2003, however, Scotland suffered its heaviest defeat of 6 - 36. It is without doubt that Scotland’s team has become stronger and stronger, and when it comes to Sunday’s game, it will be both a tough and exciting one. Head coach Scott Johnson declared himself happy with his team selection for Sunday’s clash against the “formidable opposition”.
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The Irish Side
From a young age, I developed a negative association with rugby. Rugby made my Grandfather swear. Rugby covered my cousin in mud. Rugby broke my Dad’s index finger. Rugby is the reason why he now points with his middle finger. And yes, that has caused more than a few awkward situations. And it’s all rugby’s fault. Nevertheless, my family fuelled addiction has followed me to Glasgow where I’ve wasted away countless hours in the Beer Bar getting more than merry over men ripping each other to the ground. Who am I kidding? There’s nothing negative about that at all. All eyes on are Ireland after their narrow loss to New Zealand with a converted try in the dying minutes of the match. The defeat has set Ireland as favourites at their opening match of the Six Nations against Scotland. Although the 12-8 loss to Scotland at last year’s tournament saw Ireland at their worst, new coach Joe Schmidt has stirred eager anticipation within the home crowd stating ahead of the match that he is “nervously excited”. Schmidt’s previous post as Head Coach at Leinster Rugby, which saw Leinster win consecutively in the Heineken
-Kathryn Stevenson
cup, could be said to have inspired the heavily influenced Leinster line up. However, with key players such as Sean O’Brian, Tommy Bowe and Gordon D’Arcy injured, Irish fans breathed a sigh of relief when Brian O’Driscoll was named in Schmidt’s starting XV. Brian O’Driscoll will make an Irish record 129th appearance, just tipping Ronan O’Gara’s 128-cap, while Rob Kearney makes his mark on the Irish record with his 50th appearance. A surprise addition to the line sees Ulster men Andrew Trimble and Luke Marshall named in Schmidt’s squad. Although Andrew Trimble has been a memorable face in the Irish squad in the past, his inconsistent record calls for the 29 year old to give an exceptional performance that is maintained over the tournament. Although Ireland’s list of injured players doesn’t sound too inspiring, their performance against the All Blacks in November is evidence of their undeniable progression. Scotland may have swiftly stolen the victory last year but this year they step onto Irish soil. If the roar of ‘Ireland’s Call’ doesn’t scare the Scots, the Irish thirst for revenge should.
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The Six Nations
-Harriet Johnston
Rugby fans know the Six Nations as the premier rugby union tournament in Europe, with six of the best European sides battling for national pride. Its origin is firmly rooted within the United Kingdom back to 1871, when a team from England and Scotland played in the first-ever rugby union international match. Wales and Ireland became interested, leading to the creation of the Home International Championship in 1883, the first-ever international rugby tournament. England and Scotland dominated in the early years, with the two teams combining to win nine of the first ten championships. Increased interest in the sport led to greater parity, with Wales and Ireland winning four of the last five championships contested at the end of the 19th century. The growth of rugby union throughout Europe in the early 20th century brought opportunities to expanding the championship outside of the Home Nations, as France showed keen interest. France competed for a few seasons, before officially becoming one of the teams in 1910, with the tournament renamed the Five Nations. Initially, France was hardly a competitive factor, as they won just one game in their first four years. The growth of the Five Nations was slowed by both World War I, between
1914-1920 and World War II, halting the competition in 1939. France continued to struggle competitively after the tournament resumed, and were dropped in 1931 because of issues with management. When the tournament resumed in 1947, France was allowed to compete and within a decade became one of the most dominant forces. They shared the Five Nations title in 1954 and 1955 and then had a streak of four consecutive championships from 1959-1962. In 2000, Italy joined the championship and it was renamed the Six Nations. The Italians claimed a victory in their first-ever tournament match when they defeated Scotland in Rome. However, since then Italy’s best finish in the tournament was fourth in 2007. Winning a Six Nations Championship is a point of pride for any side, but there are additional accolades available within the structure. The most glamorous is for a side to earn the Grand Slam by winning all five of their matches. So this year, who will be victorious? Will anyone manage to achieve the prestigious Grand Slam? Get down to GUU every weekend to watch the Six Nations to find out. 5
How to Survive watching Your First Rugby Match
-Kate Whitaker and Lucy Keown
You’ve probably been dragged here by your rugby obsessed friend, flatmate or significant other. You’re also probably wishing you were sitting at home watching re-runs of Come Dine With Me, a Sunday afternoon favourite... So if you’re as clueless about rugby as we are, here are some simple guidelines that might make the experience more bearable. If that’s at all possible.
Tip Three: Games are 80 minutes long. Also, rugby stops the clock so there is no injury time, meaning when the clock says 80 minutes, you know it’s over!
You will need: A pitcher of Tennents (or three) This guide A few key terms to drop into conversation so you can pretend you understand exactly what’s happening.
Tip Five: If you’re put ‘in touch’ (or as normal people would say... out) there is a ‘line out’ (a throw in).
Tip One: There are 15 players in each team Tip Two: There are 5 points for a try, which means a player has touched the ball on or past the opponents touchline (the one at the back). There are 2 points for a conversion. You can only achieve these points by kicking the ball through the H shape goals AFTER scoring a try. There are 3 points for a penalty kick at the H shape goals. The same amount of points can also be scored by a drop goal, however these are rare.
Tip Four: In rugby the ball can only be thrown backwards but player can run with the ball or kick it forwards.
Tip Five: Unlike football, players can be sent to the ‘sin bin’ for 10 minutes. Tip Six: A ‘scrum’ is a way to restart play. 8 players from each team form the scrum, pushing against the other team and trying to kick to the ball back to their team mates. Tip Seven: Ignore all this, get drunk and cheer blindly. (If you’re Irish they’re green and if you’re Scottish they’re the blue ones). There’s a bottle bar in the Debates Chamber and the Beer Bar is just a few steps away! 6
Hot Trumps
-Kirsty McKenzie
Let’s face it: some of us watch rugby for the sport and some of us watch it for the eye candy...
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*DISCLAIMER* All hotness levels were rated diplomatically and do not necessarily represent my own opinions or those of the GUU Libraries Committee.
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Rugby Jokes
-Claire Flynn
We’ve provided some hilarious(ly awful) jokes to keep you chuckling over those pints... even if your team is playing terribly. Why did the rugby player go to see the vet? His calves were hurting. A man went to the doctor one day and said: “I’ve just been playing rugby and when I got back I found that when I touched my legs, my arms, my head, my tummy and everywhere else, it really hurt.” So the doctor said: “You’ve broken your finger.” Two Rugby fans are arguing about how to pronounce the team name Wigan. The first fan says, “I say it’s Vigan,” but the other fan says, “No, it’s not, it’s Wigan. I bet you five pounds I’m right.” “Okay,” says the first fan, “you’re on. I’ll ask that man walking up the street. So he stops the man walking up the street and says, “Excuse me, my friend and I are having an argument. Do you say Wigan or Vigan?” “It’s Vigan.” “Ta, mate,” says the first fan as he collects his five pounds. “You’re velcome,” says the man walking up the street. The Scottish Rugby Union are making available a help-line for fans who are disappointed with their national team’s recent performance. The help-line number is: 0800 10 10 10. That’s 0800 won nothing won nothing won nothing! John Joe was at the Rugby World Cup Ireland V’s USA in New Zealand In the packed stadium, there was only one empty seat - next to John Joe. “Who does that seat belong to?” asked his neighbour. “It’s for my wife.” “But why isn’t she here?” “She died.” “So why didn’t you give the ticket to one of your friends?” “They’ve all gone to the funeral.”
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