-
Welcome to the Cricket Web forums, one of the biggest forums in the world dedicated to cricket.
You are currently viewing our boards as a guest which gives you limited access to view most discussions and access our other features. By joining our free community you will have access to post topics, respond to polls, upload content and access many other special features. Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free so please, join the Cricket Web community today!
If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact us.
Do you want England to win the Rugger?
- Thread starter grecian
- Start date
BoyBrumby
Englishman
It is still played in our public (fee paying) schools, being the preferred football code in most & the very sport takes its name from Rugby school (where Tom Brown's Schooldays is set). Union guarded its amateur status very closely until 1995 too (in England particularly); if any player turned out for a Rugby League team he would be instantly banned from union for life. In fact the original schism between union & league was over payments made to players for work missed. It's because of over a century of reinforcement of such elitist values that it's perceived as a game for toffs (albeit a manly one) despite being open (professional) for 12 years now.
Actually a lot of English league fans are still fairly chippy (understandably so) about the way the RFU (England's union governing body) has treated them. Just asked stedly what his opinion of them is.
grecian
Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
I think of a lot of the resentment is tied in with the meedja, being almost exclusively Oxbridge tbh, even on the Tabs. The sport does seem to get a rather uneven representation in the press.
As others have said it's always been the posher schools that have played it. The old Rugby is a thugs game played by gentleman, soccer is a gentlemans game, played by thugs"
In my comphrehensive, we never played it once. Mind you we never played cricket much either.
As others have said it's always been the posher schools that have played it. The old Rugby is a thugs game played by gentleman, soccer is a gentlemans game, played by thugs"
In my comphrehensive, we never played it once. Mind you we never played cricket much either.
PhoenixFire
International Coach
I go to a school called Ilkley Grammar School, but it's a state school.
cpr
International Coach
Heh, went to a grammar school myself. Proper toff Cheshire set place, where we played rugby union, cricket and tennis (buggery was extra curricular for those interested). However because i lived in Trafford, where they still have the 11+ system, they payed for me to go there, as it was the best Catholic Grammar available. Out of about 120 in our year, i'd say 70-80 were in the same boat as me, so wasnt really all toffs.
The schools actually gone from private to 'grant maintained' since i went. Bugger if i know what that means, as its still the same, either Trafford or mummy and daddy pay, but it means it has to subject itself to OFSTEAD testing in return for lovely lucre (wasn't exactly short of money anyway, the land it was sat on was worth millions due to the area, property developers waiting to pounce.)
Matteh
Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
I went to a Grammar school. Warwickshire still has them, even if Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire nearby don't. Live about 2 miles from Gloucestershire so it's a fairly close run thing in that regard.
Was told that rugby union was always going to be played there rather than football.
Was told that rugby union was always going to be played there rather than football.
Tom Halsey
International Coach
Several state-run gammars in Essex. KEGS in Chelmsford's main three sports were footie, rugger and cricket, all with roughly an equal amount of emphasis. It caters for most sports though, including showjumping, oddly enough.
Last edited:
GIMH
Norwood's on Fire
Still have them in Wirral. Kid brother goes to the same one that i went to
Bronte
Cricket Spectator
Yep.
Probably not the target audience for the poll tho, given I'm something of a Rugger-Bugger anyway.
&, tbf to Brown, he's enough of a Rugby fan to have lost an eye playing it: from The Torygraph
Gordon, his second son, had gone blind in his left eye and had almost lost the sight of the other.
How did he manage this??? did he play against " The Eyegougers"....France???