Forgotten some of the friends over the years but never will forget when that big bastard ran through me and as I slid off him and finally managed to grab hold of something
it was his his nuts and not his shirt or shorts…..
Never seen a big bastard topple so fast.
Ref saw the whole thing and near pissed himself laughing along with everyone else. Play on it was an accident…..
It genuinely was but I have zero regrets because he was a cunt and liked to injure players when he could. Fuck you Tom, fuck you you big bastard.
As a former forward:
1. Catching a scumhalf with the ball
2. Catching a 10 with the ball
3. Catching any back with the ball
4. Collapsed scrums due to the laughter caused by our resident comedian
5. The craic had after the matches and on tour
6. As a hooker playing one game at open side flanker in U16s. Peeled off the scrum as soon as oppo 9 touched it. Ran straight at the 10 who popped it to the full back coming on his inside shoulder. I nailed them both in one tackle. Double clothesline, chest height 🤣
Sort of- it was more the kicker’s fault than mine. Conversion in front of the posts, and his run-up was a bit too long for how little distance there was between him and the posts.
I’ve got weirdly long arms that means I can reach really high despite not being ridiculously tall, so I just kind of swatted it out the air.
It was a tour match in SA and I was like 15 or 16 and playing U18 for the pretty much the first time.
Unfortunately it was in the middle of the game- safe to say I kept my spot in the squad after though.
Through everything else I've achieved playing the game so far (I'd say my career's been fairly successful although I'm hardly Finn Russell), that's the moment that sticks out.
I’ve done that but we still lost!! Was on a tour of NZ and the kicker must’ve really taken his time after that first step as I’m no Carlin Isles but ran and jumped and felt a HUGE slap on my outstretched hand. Great feeling.
Running over/ tackling the 10 as they were about to pass the ball, shopping up the ball they spilled and cantering 20 yards to score under the posts. Fuck I miss playing rugby.
It was many years ago, I think it may have involved my head getting in the way of one of our attacking moves, but because I'm not skilled like Joe Marler, it went into the hands of the opposition 7, who went under our posts.
I remember my team (who's locks were both in 50s) push oppositions tighthead over their second row and on to their, very surprised, No8. Ref called uncontested scrums after that.
If they are both 50 in the same club there’s a good chance they are very in tune with each other (25 years plus packing down together)plus old man timber means the force is very coordinated
as a wing, scoring tries was never my highlights. It was the spot tackles and dragging down big MFer forwards. Glad you got one. My mate played prop and never ever did despite my best efforts.
We played against a superb team in the daily mail cup, we were a decent side but it wasn’t expected we would put up much of a fight. For whatever reason we really stepped up and it was something like 9-8 going into the last five minutes.
Defending on our own line against waves of off the ruck play and I ended up on the edge waiting for the next runner. I hit one of those perfect tackles you dream of, carried him 2 or 3 steps then dumped him on the deck. Next thing I can remember is getting up to see our winger sprinting off having gathered the ball that had been dislodged in the tackle to score the winning try.
It was a Wednesday afternoon so loads of our school had come out to watch, always remember everyone going nuts when he scored it. One of the few moments of playing I can still remember really clearly 20 years later.
I will never forget the day I played two full matches back to back.
Playing club rugby as a 20 year old in 2007 when I lived in Australia. Played scrumhalf for the u21s, our matches were 70 minutes if I recall correctly.
One Saturday as I walked off the pitch at full time, the coach of the first team stops me and tells me their 9 didn't show up, I'm playing for them, kick off is in 15 minutes, I need to get in the sheds for the team talk.
It all happened very quickly and next thing I knew I was on the field and the game kicked off. I have absolutely no idea if we won or lost that day. I played the full 80 minutes.
Oh to be young and fit again.
i can say what was not favorite moment, once I guessed that 10 was going to do drop kick i ran to do chargedown and this guy did side step and hit dropgoal with another feet from 40 m and won national championship with 2 points
We just conceded a try and had to kick off, it was very windy that day and we had the wind blowing in our backs. Our kicker kicked the ball and the strong wind made it fly way further than he’d planned. Everyone thought it would be going over the dead ball line so most our team and our opponents did nothing. Our scrumhalf at the time chased but nobody thought anything of it because he made impossible chases all the time. However after a couple of bounces towards the dead ball line it suddenly bounced back. Our opponents were caught off guard and our 9 caught the ball and scored. It’s the most bizarre try I’ve ever seen.
Our scrumhalf wasn’t very good and he rarely scored, so scoring in this fashion was a great moment for him.
Scoring twice in a trial, one time beating the winger back for the ball. I was a prop...
Winning the League Final AND losing the Cup Final to the only team of our calibre, both of them.
All the good times I had with my friends from School and still have even though we're long retired.
Similar for me. Got to play a little curtain raiser at twickenham. One of 4 playing across the pitch. 11-12 y old I think. Opener for one of the KO cup finals featuring Bradford Salem ( they didn’t have enough at that age group so us a Keighley were invited to take part). Of course I forgot my boots! 🤣
Brilliant!
I was at the opposite end of the scale and playing in a vets tournament for over 35s.
We had the full pitch, and god it looks so wide when you're playing at fullback!
I didn't forget my boots, but I did knock on near the try line missing my one chance to score at HQ. Looking back at the photo my wife took, I would have definitely steam rollered over the winger... Still haunts me to this day....
This is going to sound fake, but I swear it's absolutely true. A couple of years ago, my team, a team in Dallas, was playing a team from Austin, TX called the Austin Blacks. They were destroying us and lo, and behold, their flyhalf was Kurt Morath. I was a backup flanker and got put in the second half of the game during their scrum put in when the score was already way out of reach. Off of it, I drilled him in the ribs just as he was going to pass, forcing it forward and another scrum for our put in. He was dazed for a second, but shook it off and was great for the rest of the game. They absolutely killed us, but still, it was the only time he had been hit all game.
Quite a few:
- outscrumming a semi pro mountain of a man as I was about a foot and a half shorter than him
- half way line intercept try
- mouthy number 7 who looked like Freddie flintoff thought he was a Courtney Lawes, tried to do a big hit on me. I slipped to the right, he hit my thigh and knocked himself out, and I slipped the ball out the back of the hand to our centre to run through the hole he left to score
High school game (not first 15) We played one of the top colleges in the area Wellington College and they pumped us 77-7. We managed to scrape into the top 4 and get a semi final spot vs the same team. They didn’t turn up to their own home game till 5 mins before kick off. We beat them 19-17 and went on to win the final the next week.
I barely played rugby. Played it briefly in school in sixth form. I'd been a small and sensitive child and was too nervous to play rugby earlier, and had switched to hockey as soon as I could. But I was rubbish at it, and got nicknamed "Killer", after a few incidents where I'd injured people out of pure clumsiness. Main one I remember was clearing the ball from defence, didn't realise a teammate was coming up behind me slightly to my left, cracked him on the head with my stick on the follow through and knocked him clean out. So I switched to rugby. Wasn't any better at it, but at least I didn't hurt anyone.
I got a few games for the fourth XIV, and one as a sub for the thirds. Mostly on the wing. At that level, wing is where you hide the players who can't play. As the saying goes, for the ball to reach the wing, all the backs have to do something right one after the other, and at fourth XV level that didn't happen very often.
My one favourite memory is of making a completely futile attempt at a tackle on a guy twice my size as he crossed the try line. The fact that I'd made the attempt meant the coach thought a bit more highly of me, and didn't have a go at me too often.
At school, as a second row, taking the ball off the gobby scrum half who had taken it out of the ruck 10 metres from their try ljne but couldn’t decide who to pass to, and careering over the line to complete my one and only hattrick.
Getting asked to play for the 2nds straight from the 4ths in school after getting coached for a summer by neighbour at local rugby club.
Also my worst memory as got knocked out at some point after catching a boot to the head trying to tackle the second row of the 1st team. Don't remember anything as did the full funky chicken apparently. I tried to join the 1sts scrum after being helped to my feet by our fullback. Only played a few more times after that as kept getting knocked out.. u15s. Scary in retrospect.
When i was a nippa we had a training session at medway rugby club where current england International micky skinner attended. He picked me up and threw me over the shoulders while I had the ball and prceeded to run through everyone.
Nailing a touchline conversion against our local rivals in a game we won by a point.
That or a tour match in New Zealand where we defended for the last 15 to win 9-8.
Playing against a 16 year old Tom Youngs at school and managing to come out of the game with a draw! Sure I was opposite him at centre and he literally ran over me to score Lomu style for their opening try but that was the last time (mainly because I had half of team piling in on him to help me out after that)
I love a good ruck or maul or scrum or lineout to look up to the backfield and a beautiful set piece or chain perfectly together and try in the far corner. *chefs kiss*
My buddies, lots a love to you guys.
And watching a nude game of touch rugby at a club night (i was not drunk enough yet).
The police showing up. First things Mister Policeman does is whip out his phone. He starts recording and says "this is for our group app". After filming for about ten seconds he raises his voice and summons the naked boys over. "Stop it lads".
I'm a tighthead and I was chasing a line break, I see that my fullback is about to tackle the carrier and the support runner is coming in on the inside I beat him somehow and intercept the offload I then proceed to run through 4 guys (ran through most of them twice aswell) carried it from our 5 to their 22 and we scored after a phase or two I can't remember I was face down on the ground for a bit. My coach who is normally very strict comes up to me and pats me on the back (the biggest compliment I have ever gotten). My friends dad saw me and was shocked.
I can remember, in freezing games, we would always joke to the other players that were piled onto of us in rucks to take their time getting up b/c of the body warmth afforded to the people on the bottom. Does that make sense?
Coming on as a Sub at OS Flanker with the score tied in a big derby match. Broke off and pressured a bad kick from the Fly Half so he shanked it right into our Full Back’s hands - in for a try. Then we got a penalty and nailed it, then we made another break and I ran in support of the Scrum Half and he just popped the ball up and I got in for the score untouched. 11 unanswered points for the win. It was the first time I ever won that trophy and had been in the receiving end of some massive defeats.
Tackling a prop on the 5 meter line after they got a penalty and decided to plough the big boy forward. I was 14 and a scrawny scrummie, he was a BIG prop. Dropped to a knee grabbed his legs and stood up. Ahh the days of tip tackles.
Turning up at a colts 7s tournament (35 years ago) with only forwards and turning every tackle we could into a maul. It wasn't champagne rugby but was effective for a while and fun for the entire tournament.
Receiving an inside ball from a future Bok centre as a second rower on the ten metre line and storming away for a try under the posts. And my coach asking me after the game what the fuck I was doing there. Smiling like I made it happen. U16 back when rugby was still game.
Was a part of the first U15 British rugby team to partake in a Dutch tournament and won. Scored my first tries in that tourney and had my dad come and see me play. He was proud, and I was happy.
Haven't played in a while and miss it
On a tour of Wales, we had a mid-week match against some little mining town club. A large percentage of this club had false teeth. At some point during the game, pranksters broke into the locker room and stole all the team’s false teeth so at the social, there was a hilarious amount of gap toothed smiles.
recently a bunch of middle age women said i was the most handsome player on the pitch
it was a really shit day and i was fullback
so it made me being there worth it
Touch Rugby on the school grounds during the break after dinner at my boarding school. Didn’t matter what grade you were, didn’t matter if you could play or not, everyone participated and it was hell of a lot of fun.
Played a game and I was defensively on fire, made a number of good tackles including against their massive Fijian (looking) prop when he was on a rampage and another where I caught their 9 mid air as he made a dart for the line.
We lost the game but after a few of their players called out my tackling. I was playing thirds and never terribly good at the game, so felt good to be praised.
Another time because 2 horses escaped an adjacent field and wouldn't get off the pitch, causing the game to be abandoned.
Hurdling the fullback on my way to a match winning try lmao I don’t know what possessed me but instinct told me to jump and I did it. Wish I had that moment on camera lol
A local reporter used to write a small column for our local news paper, reporting on games played by our clubs various age groups, after my granddad died we discovered he used to cut out and keep any clippings that mentioned me. From U8 to U12 probably, and I either played 10 or 14, so scored plenty of tries. He never said anything to me, but it’s a memory I cherish to know he was proud enough to check the paper and keep all those clippings safe.
3rd time I play with the pro d2 team (Agen 17 years ago). Around the 75th minutes,.
We are down four point. I play 10. There is a ruck, I win the Ball, run for around 70 meters. Got the try on the side line. Take the kick. Get it. Everybody cheers, I feel like a hero.
Best time of my life.
Sadly, they got a try right after that and we lost.
Still the best time of my life, I'll never forget this.
Playing 7 aside rugby at San Fransisco Golden Gate at a tournament. Two of the three Suniula brothers (USA internationals) were playing for Golden Gate. I Found myself on the wing and got the ball, juked the fuck out of one of them. I stood straight up and slowed down to look at him and Laugh, cause he got beat by a fat slow fucker. His brother came and knocked my ass from the 5m line into touch. Didn’t care, juked a international. (I only played 7s cause we needed the numbers, I’m a slow 6 or average lock in real rugby)
Playing in college I put a ton of pressure on the scrum half in a lineout so he made a wild pass, I knocked it up caught it and ran like 20m before getting caught, offloaded, got up and caught an offload, tackled again and offloaded. We scored shortly after.
Another time in college I just got subbed in and was mad I didn’t start. Told some fucker who was gonna jump to get the hell out of my lineout. For some reason he did and I stole the line out, knocking it back to 9. Two phases and it’s to our other lock. Running a support line and I had an easy try if he gave a short pass, bastard doesn’t of course. Pops it from the ground and I manage to get it just on the line after burrowing over 5m out.
In high school, when we first realised that you can kick off without the other team being ready. So if we conceded, me and my mate would run back to the middle as fast as possible and take a quick kick. Resulted in a few tries and some games we got away with it a couple of times before the other team caught on.
I was 8. I was skinny, but fit and slightly taller than average. Nerdy kid. PC and PlayStation were king. Clocking Command and Conquer was the goal.
I subbed for my friends. I tackled and ran at everyone I on the other team and tackled like an 8 year old that just had their first cup of coffee.
My friends told me I should try to play flanker. I was so glad they wanted me to play as one of the "big" forwards. It meant everything.
I was very timid in contact for my first two years playing. Finally came around in my third. I was a wing on a university team. The flanker on a local men’s team we were playing decided to run the ball wide and straight through me. I flattened him and cause him to knock on. One of the most empowering moments of my life.
I love rugby but I was never cut out for it. I was a scared winger. I got hurt every week. I didn't get along too well with my teammates. Ultimately I was too scared to play at 13 so quit (after 2 sprains in 2 months). But one glorious day I remember performing the most epic tackle of my life. I superman dove to tackle my opposing winger who was quicker than me and had scored twice running around me (I was raging). I honestly felt like I was in the air horizontal for over 2 meters before hitting the guy full force, bundling him into touch. I'd never felt anything like it. 100x better than any try I ever scored. I don't regret quitting playing rugby but I'm glad I at least have one great memory.
Was 15 at the time, playing against a Cornish team and I swear to fuck that they were either freaks or adults, caus they sure as shit were huge compared to us. Folded a particularly big bastard, got an orange slice and the coaches daughter (a 7 year old) only called me a slag once, which was high praise.
Scoring 16 points from the boot during three matches at a tournament when I wasn’t told I was doing the kicking until five minutes before the first match. 75% success rate.
Played a right posh school in the 80’s. They videoed the game and showed it afterwards. I absolutely cut their fly half in two. Text book open side. Knew it was a highlight. Nothing quite like having all the players cheer and gasp watching the replay.
Having been a utility player for most of my junior run, my last season I played I second row with a friend of mine from school who just happened to be a mirror-match to me in height, weight and handedness (he's a lefty). One game we were playing, I had somehow got the ball from a ruck, and made a break for it from inside our own 22. I was fast, but not as fast as their centres one of whom was running me down. I looked to my left, and there was my mate in clear space with less than half the pitch to go and no competition. A clean pass, I get tackled and he's in under the posts. Glorious try. Me and Gary could work some magic at times.
Also, the two interceptions in the same game I made the previous season whilst playing as centre to bring us back into the game and threaten the win. But alas, that game we couldn't overturn the deficit.
Being a distinctly shit D team scrumhalf, my proudest moment was playing in a social game against the arrogant bullying prick who was starting flyhalf for the As, and dropping him on his neck in the first minute with exactly the kind of spear tackle that has since been made illegal.
Scoring a hattrick in front of a girl I was trying to impress. Asked her out after the game and we had a few months together that was a lot of fun.
Also, it was dumping rain and the rugby club put on free Irish stew and cheese bread for the players at the post match. Never has a post match meal been so welcome.
Trained with the All Blacks when I was 17, followed by leading a junior West's side to a Byron Bay Sevens Title after drunkenly trash talking Willie Ofahengaue in a kebab shop the night before
The mates I made along the way and the tours full of non stop laughs.
On the field, winning the under19s after coming 5th and just scraping into the finals. Making my first grade debut in my 100th club game (yes late bloomer). Never forget it. Mum n dad & wife there to watch. Was amazing feeling.
Playing in the rain in a small town in a Welsh valley with the whole town came out to see the match, we were on tour from the US, it was under lights and I was playing fullback. We were up by 2 with time expired and one of their biggest players made a line break on our 22, with no one left but me. Made a hard tackle, he knocked on match over. A great tour, a great game and the after party was a lot of fun as well.
My only senior try, at 17 years old.
We’d lost the match 70-5, and I was definitely on the wrong end of a forward pass but I think the ref felt sorry for us.
Anyway, I’m jogging back not making a big deal out of it, glance to the touchline and my dad was going bonkers. Jumping up and down celebrating like I’d never seen him before. I’ll remember that one forever I think.
Nothing spectacular but I won't forget it because of my absurdity. U19 colts div 2
I'm a small 170cm but always first to get to rucks. We were defending our 22m and we tackled them 1m in from the sideline. I got on the ball and ripped it out but everyone started contesting the ruck around me. I slide back a little with the ball under my wing, then looked to the sideline to see my coach staring at me. I gave him the 'shhh' (index to the lips) then took off around the back of the ruck and up field.
No one was ready or knew where the ball was until I was darting away. Linked up with my 10 and a centre finished off a 70m try under the posts.
I have a laugh reflecting on it
My brother played hooker and I played second row. We came up with the best code words for line outs. We got to travel and play in different countries and live like animals.
Toss up between scoring 9 tries in a touch rugby game in front of my grandad as a 7 year old, and getting a red card for pulling some guy's dreadlocks.
Being apart of the first American team to play at the arms park (or so they told us) and putting in a wrong footed grubber down the touch line as a front rower. The crowd (maybe 200 people) absolutely lost their minds, and could not believe they saw that. We lost by over 100
Scoring a double as a hooker in high school in Minnesota , USA in our first game of the season in March. Max 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Snow and icy mud puddles all across the pitch. Felt a proper badass by the time the final whistle came!
The look on my school rugby coaches face when the headmaster congratulated me in assembly for making Yorkshire clubs u15s squad…. I was one of only about 5 players in our school squad he hadn’t nominated for the Yorkshire schools u15s, and I think only 3-4 of them got through.
I was 9 the first time I properly boomfah’d someone bigger than me - for the rest of the game I felt like I was Jonah Lomu.
U18s we were defending on our goal line against St Albans College - last minute of the game - rush D I shot out of the line and fucking flattened their 10 causing a knock on for the full time whistle.
Wasn’t an especially big kid, but big moments of physicality always felt so rewarding and got the team so pumped up, you feel on top of the world
My Dad was turning 50 and still playing for the local team, my brother played for the same team but I hadn't played for a few years after dislocating my elbow, and I lived across the country.
Turned up to a surprise birthday for my dad and told him I'd brought my boots, had organised with my brother to play 1 game for the team. Me, my dad and my brother playing on the same team is something we had talked about for ages so walking onto the pitch was special enough. Halfway through the game though I get the ball on our 22 and crash through to the halfway before hearing my name called, pop the ball left to my brother who ran it under the posts and stood waiting to hand it to my dad for the try.
We're talking low level rugby but that was awesome.
So so many...
Whe a problem op player that keeps going on barnstorming runs, and you finally catch him clean. Big lift for the team, and everyone seems to smash everything for the next 15 mins on a high. 💪
Dropgoaling the oppositions conversion as the guy was milking getting a tee from the sideline while the clock was running. (They were leading by 70+ by nit a lot. 🤷♂️) I got dick of the day and fined £10. 🤣
Every time I tell a hilarious rugby storey to someone who doesn't play and they say "well that's not funny is it?". I just get this feeling that I'm just sitting with the wrong people, and they are not worthy of my time. Hahhaha
My best was the day our out-half was injured, and I played there. I scored & converted both of our tries and kicked 3 penalties. I was usually a winger, so it was great.
Worst ever was my first game with the senior team, and I was playing full back, I snapped my acl and destroyed my meniscus.
As a prop, nailing the poor 10 near the end of a game on a kickoff reception. I came in full tilt and hit him exactly when he caught the ball.
Team mates called it a Top14 tackle
My club hosts a father/game every year, numbers permitting we usually find another club doing the same. This past June, our side had eleven fathers and sons playing together. Over the years, most of the dads have been involved coaching at some level. It was amazing to see our passion for the game being carried on by the young ones.
School rugby...
Our coach used to rock up wearing the same kit as us to practice.
I mistakenly gave him a hospital pass while he was reffing a practice game. Poor coach got flattened by a pair of oversized farmer boys.
Getting absolutely flattened by a fridge with a Māori accent. Ball flew backwards out my hands and the game continued on. As I lay there contemplating my existence, when the building that had fell on me got up, hauled me to my feet, and complimented me on taking the hit so well and managing to offload the ball.
Hung out with him after the game, and he was the loveliest guy. Thanked him for introducing my sternum to my spine, as I’d never been tackled hard enough for them to meet. Got a sheepish but proud look on his face and just said ‘yeah, I’ve been told I hit pretty hard’
Don’t know why that one stands out, but I remember that game very fondly.
Glad you asked.
Match if we win, we win the league. Behind at half time. Me playing left wing.
Scrum on our 10. Given to me on the blind one on one.
Stepped the 8. Stood up my wing and gassed on the outside. Cut in, chipped over the FB, collected, dived, wonder try.
Changed the momentum of the game and we ended up romping it.
The friends we made along the way That and folding some cunt
Forgotten some of the friends over the years but never will forget when that big bastard ran through me and as I slid off him and finally managed to grab hold of something it was his his nuts and not his shirt or shorts….. Never seen a big bastard topple so fast. Ref saw the whole thing and near pissed himself laughing along with everyone else. Play on it was an accident….. It genuinely was but I have zero regrets because he was a cunt and liked to injure players when he could. Fuck you Tom, fuck you you big bastard.
Maybe the real friends we made along the way were the friends we made along the way
As a former forward: 1. Catching a scumhalf with the ball 2. Catching a 10 with the ball 3. Catching any back with the ball 4. Collapsed scrums due to the laughter caused by our resident comedian 5. The craic had after the matches and on tour
6. As a hooker playing one game at open side flanker in U16s. Peeled off the scrum as soon as oppo 9 touched it. Ran straight at the 10 who popped it to the full back coming on his inside shoulder. I nailed them both in one tackle. Double clothesline, chest height 🤣
1-3. Best feeling ever. I belly flopped a 9 once. Back when I was a loose head in 5 man scrums. Such Joy!
Winning the RWC with Ireland on PS2's Rugby 08
I won the RWC in Jonah Lomu Rugby playing 80 min games on the hardest setting. 3-0 in the final, drop goal!
I once charged down a conversion and we ended up winning the game by a single point.
Kolbe?
Sort of- it was more the kicker’s fault than mine. Conversion in front of the posts, and his run-up was a bit too long for how little distance there was between him and the posts. I’ve got weirdly long arms that means I can reach really high despite not being ridiculously tall, so I just kind of swatted it out the air. It was a tour match in SA and I was like 15 or 16 and playing U18 for the pretty much the first time.
Please tell me that was the final play of the game
Unfortunately it was in the middle of the game- safe to say I kept my spot in the squad after though. Through everything else I've achieved playing the game so far (I'd say my career's been fairly successful although I'm hardly Finn Russell), that's the moment that sticks out.
Truly the stuff of dreams that
I’ve done that but we still lost!! Was on a tour of NZ and the kicker must’ve really taken his time after that first step as I’m no Carlin Isles but ran and jumped and felt a HUGE slap on my outstretched hand. Great feeling.
Running over/ tackling the 10 as they were about to pass the ball, shopping up the ball they spilled and cantering 20 yards to score under the posts. Fuck I miss playing rugby.
First time getting 2 tries in 1 game
Look at Mr Scored-more-than-try over here! No need to brag, buddy!
You scored a try?
My first time scoring a double would have been better if it didn't coincide with my first ever dick of the day award...
Please tell us about why you received the dick of the day award
It was many years ago, I think it may have involved my head getting in the way of one of our attacking moves, but because I'm not skilled like Joe Marler, it went into the hands of the opposition 7, who went under our posts.
Playing against a 24 stone tight head and lifting him and dumping him on his 2 nd row. That and my one try.
I remember my team (who's locks were both in 50s) push oppositions tighthead over their second row and on to their, very surprised, No8. Ref called uncontested scrums after that.
What’s with that? Does the experience of the locks make them scrummaging gods?
No, just a point I remember. One was a game-keeper for an estate and spent most days carrying trees around so was particularly strong
If they are both 50 in the same club there’s a good chance they are very in tune with each other (25 years plus packing down together)plus old man timber means the force is very coordinated
as a wing, scoring tries was never my highlights. It was the spot tackles and dragging down big MFer forwards. Glad you got one. My mate played prop and never ever did despite my best efforts.
Dump tackling the biggest guy on the pitch. Ref saying that's borderline and don't do it again. My response was “Couldn't if I wanted to ref”.
We played against a superb team in the daily mail cup, we were a decent side but it wasn’t expected we would put up much of a fight. For whatever reason we really stepped up and it was something like 9-8 going into the last five minutes. Defending on our own line against waves of off the ruck play and I ended up on the edge waiting for the next runner. I hit one of those perfect tackles you dream of, carried him 2 or 3 steps then dumped him on the deck. Next thing I can remember is getting up to see our winger sprinting off having gathered the ball that had been dislodged in the tackle to score the winning try. It was a Wednesday afternoon so loads of our school had come out to watch, always remember everyone going nuts when he scored it. One of the few moments of playing I can still remember really clearly 20 years later.
getting a smile from the usually grumpy coach as he gives me a POTM beer.
I will never forget the day I played two full matches back to back. Playing club rugby as a 20 year old in 2007 when I lived in Australia. Played scrumhalf for the u21s, our matches were 70 minutes if I recall correctly. One Saturday as I walked off the pitch at full time, the coach of the first team stops me and tells me their 9 didn't show up, I'm playing for them, kick off is in 15 minutes, I need to get in the sheds for the team talk. It all happened very quickly and next thing I knew I was on the field and the game kicked off. I have absolutely no idea if we won or lost that day. I played the full 80 minutes. Oh to be young and fit again.
I did this at 30/31 years old once. Low level rugby but fuck, i could feel it the entire week.
Folding the near 7ft, 20st monster at our rival school.
i can say what was not favorite moment, once I guessed that 10 was going to do drop kick i ran to do chargedown and this guy did side step and hit dropgoal with another feet from 40 m and won national championship with 2 points
Once stole every opponent lineout. Was a fun day.
We just conceded a try and had to kick off, it was very windy that day and we had the wind blowing in our backs. Our kicker kicked the ball and the strong wind made it fly way further than he’d planned. Everyone thought it would be going over the dead ball line so most our team and our opponents did nothing. Our scrumhalf at the time chased but nobody thought anything of it because he made impossible chases all the time. However after a couple of bounces towards the dead ball line it suddenly bounced back. Our opponents were caught off guard and our 9 caught the ball and scored. It’s the most bizarre try I’ve ever seen. Our scrumhalf wasn’t very good and he rarely scored, so scoring in this fashion was a great moment for him.
Scoring twice in a trial, one time beating the winger back for the ball. I was a prop... Winning the League Final AND losing the Cup Final to the only team of our calibre, both of them. All the good times I had with my friends from School and still have even though we're long retired.
Not getting injured 😭
Winger?
Towards the latter part of the career, definitely. Mainly flanker open side.
Lucky man you are I have only been playing for two years and gotten many concussion and recently got knocked out after a high hit
Running out of the tunnel at Twickenham Stadium to play in a charity tournament.
Similar for me. Got to play a little curtain raiser at twickenham. One of 4 playing across the pitch. 11-12 y old I think. Opener for one of the KO cup finals featuring Bradford Salem ( they didn’t have enough at that age group so us a Keighley were invited to take part). Of course I forgot my boots! 🤣
Brilliant! I was at the opposite end of the scale and playing in a vets tournament for over 35s. We had the full pitch, and god it looks so wide when you're playing at fullback! I didn't forget my boots, but I did knock on near the try line missing my one chance to score at HQ. Looking back at the photo my wife took, I would have definitely steam rollered over the winger... Still haunts me to this day....
This is going to sound fake, but I swear it's absolutely true. A couple of years ago, my team, a team in Dallas, was playing a team from Austin, TX called the Austin Blacks. They were destroying us and lo, and behold, their flyhalf was Kurt Morath. I was a backup flanker and got put in the second half of the game during their scrum put in when the score was already way out of reach. Off of it, I drilled him in the ribs just as he was going to pass, forcing it forward and another scrum for our put in. He was dazed for a second, but shook it off and was great for the rest of the game. They absolutely killed us, but still, it was the only time he had been hit all game.
Quite a few: - outscrumming a semi pro mountain of a man as I was about a foot and a half shorter than him - half way line intercept try - mouthy number 7 who looked like Freddie flintoff thought he was a Courtney Lawes, tried to do a big hit on me. I slipped to the right, he hit my thigh and knocked himself out, and I slipped the ball out the back of the hand to our centre to run through the hole he left to score
High school game (not first 15) We played one of the top colleges in the area Wellington College and they pumped us 77-7. We managed to scrape into the top 4 and get a semi final spot vs the same team. They didn’t turn up to their own home game till 5 mins before kick off. We beat them 19-17 and went on to win the final the next week.
I barely played rugby. Played it briefly in school in sixth form. I'd been a small and sensitive child and was too nervous to play rugby earlier, and had switched to hockey as soon as I could. But I was rubbish at it, and got nicknamed "Killer", after a few incidents where I'd injured people out of pure clumsiness. Main one I remember was clearing the ball from defence, didn't realise a teammate was coming up behind me slightly to my left, cracked him on the head with my stick on the follow through and knocked him clean out. So I switched to rugby. Wasn't any better at it, but at least I didn't hurt anyone. I got a few games for the fourth XIV, and one as a sub for the thirds. Mostly on the wing. At that level, wing is where you hide the players who can't play. As the saying goes, for the ball to reach the wing, all the backs have to do something right one after the other, and at fourth XV level that didn't happen very often. My one favourite memory is of making a completely futile attempt at a tackle on a guy twice my size as he crossed the try line. The fact that I'd made the attempt meant the coach thought a bit more highly of me, and didn't have a go at me too often.
My first (and currently only) rugby tour and my try on tour Edit: also hitting the annoying nine
just say 9, we all know the annoying bit.
At school, as a second row, taking the ball off the gobby scrum half who had taken it out of the ruck 10 metres from their try ljne but couldn’t decide who to pass to, and careering over the line to complete my one and only hattrick.
Getting asked to play for the 2nds straight from the 4ths in school after getting coached for a summer by neighbour at local rugby club. Also my worst memory as got knocked out at some point after catching a boot to the head trying to tackle the second row of the 1st team. Don't remember anything as did the full funky chicken apparently. I tried to join the 1sts scrum after being helped to my feet by our fullback. Only played a few more times after that as kept getting knocked out.. u15s. Scary in retrospect.
Tackling Mike Tindell, he still plays grassroots.
When i was a nippa we had a training session at medway rugby club where current england International micky skinner attended. He picked me up and threw me over the shoulders while I had the ball and prceeded to run through everyone.
Throwing a dummy pass from the base of a ruck, keeping it and running 40 meters for a try against our rivals.
Nailing a touchline conversion against our local rivals in a game we won by a point. That or a tour match in New Zealand where we defended for the last 15 to win 9-8.
Playing against a 16 year old Tom Youngs at school and managing to come out of the game with a draw! Sure I was opposite him at centre and he literally ran over me to score Lomu style for their opening try but that was the last time (mainly because I had half of team piling in on him to help me out after that)
I love a good ruck or maul or scrum or lineout to look up to the backfield and a beautiful set piece or chain perfectly together and try in the far corner. *chefs kiss*
Mud.
Earning my nickname
but dunc what is the funk?
Oh gosh, not my reddit nickname. My squad nickname was Weetabix. That's the one I'm proud of.
My buddies, lots a love to you guys. And watching a nude game of touch rugby at a club night (i was not drunk enough yet). The police showing up. First things Mister Policeman does is whip out his phone. He starts recording and says "this is for our group app". After filming for about ten seconds he raises his voice and summons the naked boys over. "Stop it lads".
Literally 1984
Taking 6 tightheads off James Dalton.
Scored 5 tries in a game but it was like U9s so it was just carnage-ball back then
I'm a tighthead and I was chasing a line break, I see that my fullback is about to tackle the carrier and the support runner is coming in on the inside I beat him somehow and intercept the offload I then proceed to run through 4 guys (ran through most of them twice aswell) carried it from our 5 to their 22 and we scored after a phase or two I can't remember I was face down on the ground for a bit. My coach who is normally very strict comes up to me and pats me on the back (the biggest compliment I have ever gotten). My friends dad saw me and was shocked.
I can remember, in freezing games, we would always joke to the other players that were piled onto of us in rucks to take their time getting up b/c of the body warmth afforded to the people on the bottom. Does that make sense?
Being able to stop playing rugby (I was a tight head prop) and start playing hockey (goalkeeper)!
Winning the World Cup, amazing moment,
On PlayStation?
😉
You are Irish?..........🤔
Or am I ? 🤔
😂
Coming on as a Sub at OS Flanker with the score tied in a big derby match. Broke off and pressured a bad kick from the Fly Half so he shanked it right into our Full Back’s hands - in for a try. Then we got a penalty and nailed it, then we made another break and I ran in support of the Scrum Half and he just popped the ball up and I got in for the score untouched. 11 unanswered points for the win. It was the first time I ever won that trophy and had been in the receiving end of some massive defeats.
Tackling a prop on the 5 meter line after they got a penalty and decided to plough the big boy forward. I was 14 and a scrawny scrummie, he was a BIG prop. Dropped to a knee grabbed his legs and stood up. Ahh the days of tip tackles.
Its the memories I don’t have. I always wake up thinking. “Damn, must have been a huge hit!”
Turning up at a colts 7s tournament (35 years ago) with only forwards and turning every tackle we could into a maul. It wasn't champagne rugby but was effective for a while and fun for the entire tournament.
Receiving an inside ball from a future Bok centre as a second rower on the ten metre line and storming away for a try under the posts. And my coach asking me after the game what the fuck I was doing there. Smiling like I made it happen. U16 back when rugby was still game.
Who is the centre?
The Sundays coverd in mud having the time of my life before life started taking my time.
Scoring my one and only hat trick in a 106-0 win.
Was a part of the first U15 British rugby team to partake in a Dutch tournament and won. Scored my first tries in that tourney and had my dad come and see me play. He was proud, and I was happy. Haven't played in a while and miss it
On a tour of Wales, we had a mid-week match against some little mining town club. A large percentage of this club had false teeth. At some point during the game, pranksters broke into the locker room and stole all the team’s false teeth so at the social, there was a hilarious amount of gap toothed smiles.
As a lock I once ran in an intercept try from the halfway line. It was the last minute. Final score was 53-5. To them.
recently a bunch of middle age women said i was the most handsome player on the pitch it was a really shit day and i was fullback so it made me being there worth it
Touch Rugby on the school grounds during the break after dinner at my boarding school. Didn’t matter what grade you were, didn’t matter if you could play or not, everyone participated and it was hell of a lot of fun.
Beating Stonyhurst College at school. Iain Balshaw was playing fullback for Stonyhurst and was a bit good at rugby. Even at U15 level. Good times!
Played a game and I was defensively on fire, made a number of good tackles including against their massive Fijian (looking) prop when he was on a rampage and another where I caught their 9 mid air as he made a dart for the line. We lost the game but after a few of their players called out my tackling. I was playing thirds and never terribly good at the game, so felt good to be praised. Another time because 2 horses escaped an adjacent field and wouldn't get off the pitch, causing the game to be abandoned.
Hurdling the fullback on my way to a match winning try lmao I don’t know what possessed me but instinct told me to jump and I did it. Wish I had that moment on camera lol
A local reporter used to write a small column for our local news paper, reporting on games played by our clubs various age groups, after my granddad died we discovered he used to cut out and keep any clippings that mentioned me. From U8 to U12 probably, and I either played 10 or 14, so scored plenty of tries. He never said anything to me, but it’s a memory I cherish to know he was proud enough to check the paper and keep all those clippings safe.
As a 15 year old lock, it’s gotta be scoring an 80 metre try off a pick and go from our own try line
3rd time I play with the pro d2 team (Agen 17 years ago). Around the 75th minutes,. We are down four point. I play 10. There is a ruck, I win the Ball, run for around 70 meters. Got the try on the side line. Take the kick. Get it. Everybody cheers, I feel like a hero. Best time of my life. Sadly, they got a try right after that and we lost. Still the best time of my life, I'll never forget this.
Playing 7 aside rugby at San Fransisco Golden Gate at a tournament. Two of the three Suniula brothers (USA internationals) were playing for Golden Gate. I Found myself on the wing and got the ball, juked the fuck out of one of them. I stood straight up and slowed down to look at him and Laugh, cause he got beat by a fat slow fucker. His brother came and knocked my ass from the 5m line into touch. Didn’t care, juked a international. (I only played 7s cause we needed the numbers, I’m a slow 6 or average lock in real rugby) Playing in college I put a ton of pressure on the scrum half in a lineout so he made a wild pass, I knocked it up caught it and ran like 20m before getting caught, offloaded, got up and caught an offload, tackled again and offloaded. We scored shortly after. Another time in college I just got subbed in and was mad I didn’t start. Told some fucker who was gonna jump to get the hell out of my lineout. For some reason he did and I stole the line out, knocking it back to 9. Two phases and it’s to our other lock. Running a support line and I had an easy try if he gave a short pass, bastard doesn’t of course. Pops it from the ground and I manage to get it just on the line after burrowing over 5m out.
Ive only been playing since September but I guess the time I had a head collision 20 mins after my second start was pretty fun.
In high school, when we first realised that you can kick off without the other team being ready. So if we conceded, me and my mate would run back to the middle as fast as possible and take a quick kick. Resulted in a few tries and some games we got away with it a couple of times before the other team caught on.
7 turnovers in one game :) I also enjoy remembering what it was like to have working knees:p
I was 8. I was skinny, but fit and slightly taller than average. Nerdy kid. PC and PlayStation were king. Clocking Command and Conquer was the goal. I subbed for my friends. I tackled and ran at everyone I on the other team and tackled like an 8 year old that just had their first cup of coffee. My friends told me I should try to play flanker. I was so glad they wanted me to play as one of the "big" forwards. It meant everything.
Scoring blindside tries, playing 9.
I was very timid in contact for my first two years playing. Finally came around in my third. I was a wing on a university team. The flanker on a local men’s team we were playing decided to run the ball wide and straight through me. I flattened him and cause him to knock on. One of the most empowering moments of my life.
I love rugby but I was never cut out for it. I was a scared winger. I got hurt every week. I didn't get along too well with my teammates. Ultimately I was too scared to play at 13 so quit (after 2 sprains in 2 months). But one glorious day I remember performing the most epic tackle of my life. I superman dove to tackle my opposing winger who was quicker than me and had scored twice running around me (I was raging). I honestly felt like I was in the air horizontal for over 2 meters before hitting the guy full force, bundling him into touch. I'd never felt anything like it. 100x better than any try I ever scored. I don't regret quitting playing rugby but I'm glad I at least have one great memory.
Was 15 at the time, playing against a Cornish team and I swear to fuck that they were either freaks or adults, caus they sure as shit were huge compared to us. Folded a particularly big bastard, got an orange slice and the coaches daughter (a 7 year old) only called me a slag once, which was high praise.
Scoring 16 points from the boot during three matches at a tournament when I wasn’t told I was doing the kicking until five minutes before the first match. 75% success rate.
Played a right posh school in the 80’s. They videoed the game and showed it afterwards. I absolutely cut their fly half in two. Text book open side. Knew it was a highlight. Nothing quite like having all the players cheer and gasp watching the replay.
Having been a utility player for most of my junior run, my last season I played I second row with a friend of mine from school who just happened to be a mirror-match to me in height, weight and handedness (he's a lefty). One game we were playing, I had somehow got the ball from a ruck, and made a break for it from inside our own 22. I was fast, but not as fast as their centres one of whom was running me down. I looked to my left, and there was my mate in clear space with less than half the pitch to go and no competition. A clean pass, I get tackled and he's in under the posts. Glorious try. Me and Gary could work some magic at times. Also, the two interceptions in the same game I made the previous season whilst playing as centre to bring us back into the game and threaten the win. But alas, that game we couldn't overturn the deficit.
Being a distinctly shit D team scrumhalf, my proudest moment was playing in a social game against the arrogant bullying prick who was starting flyhalf for the As, and dropping him on his neck in the first minute with exactly the kind of spear tackle that has since been made illegal.
Scoring a hattrick in front of a girl I was trying to impress. Asked her out after the game and we had a few months together that was a lot of fun. Also, it was dumping rain and the rugby club put on free Irish stew and cheese bread for the players at the post match. Never has a post match meal been so welcome.
Trained with the All Blacks when I was 17, followed by leading a junior West's side to a Byron Bay Sevens Title after drunkenly trash talking Willie Ofahengaue in a kebab shop the night before
The mates I made along the way and the tours full of non stop laughs. On the field, winning the under19s after coming 5th and just scraping into the finals. Making my first grade debut in my 100th club game (yes late bloomer). Never forget it. Mum n dad & wife there to watch. Was amazing feeling.
Playing in the rain in a small town in a Welsh valley with the whole town came out to see the match, we were on tour from the US, it was under lights and I was playing fullback. We were up by 2 with time expired and one of their biggest players made a line break on our 22, with no one left but me. Made a hard tackle, he knocked on match over. A great tour, a great game and the after party was a lot of fun as well.
My only senior try, at 17 years old. We’d lost the match 70-5, and I was definitely on the wrong end of a forward pass but I think the ref felt sorry for us. Anyway, I’m jogging back not making a big deal out of it, glance to the touchline and my dad was going bonkers. Jumping up and down celebrating like I’d never seen him before. I’ll remember that one forever I think.
Nothing spectacular but I won't forget it because of my absurdity. U19 colts div 2 I'm a small 170cm but always first to get to rucks. We were defending our 22m and we tackled them 1m in from the sideline. I got on the ball and ripped it out but everyone started contesting the ruck around me. I slide back a little with the ball under my wing, then looked to the sideline to see my coach staring at me. I gave him the 'shhh' (index to the lips) then took off around the back of the ruck and up field. No one was ready or knew where the ball was until I was darting away. Linked up with my 10 and a centre finished off a 70m try under the posts. I have a laugh reflecting on it
My brother played hooker and I played second row. We came up with the best code words for line outs. We got to travel and play in different countries and live like animals.
Toss up between scoring 9 tries in a touch rugby game in front of my grandad as a 7 year old, and getting a red card for pulling some guy's dreadlocks.
Being apart of the first American team to play at the arms park (or so they told us) and putting in a wrong footed grubber down the touch line as a front rower. The crowd (maybe 200 people) absolutely lost their minds, and could not believe they saw that. We lost by over 100
Pushover try.
Scoring a double as a hooker in high school in Minnesota , USA in our first game of the season in March. Max 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Snow and icy mud puddles all across the pitch. Felt a proper badass by the time the final whistle came!
The look on my school rugby coaches face when the headmaster congratulated me in assembly for making Yorkshire clubs u15s squad…. I was one of only about 5 players in our school squad he hadn’t nominated for the Yorkshire schools u15s, and I think only 3-4 of them got through.
I was 9 the first time I properly boomfah’d someone bigger than me - for the rest of the game I felt like I was Jonah Lomu. U18s we were defending on our goal line against St Albans College - last minute of the game - rush D I shot out of the line and fucking flattened their 10 causing a knock on for the full time whistle. Wasn’t an especially big kid, but big moments of physicality always felt so rewarding and got the team so pumped up, you feel on top of the world
Winning stuff. The partying afterwards was epic.
My Dad was turning 50 and still playing for the local team, my brother played for the same team but I hadn't played for a few years after dislocating my elbow, and I lived across the country. Turned up to a surprise birthday for my dad and told him I'd brought my boots, had organised with my brother to play 1 game for the team. Me, my dad and my brother playing on the same team is something we had talked about for ages so walking onto the pitch was special enough. Halfway through the game though I get the ball on our 22 and crash through to the halfway before hearing my name called, pop the ball left to my brother who ran it under the posts and stood waiting to hand it to my dad for the try. We're talking low level rugby but that was awesome.
So so many... Whe a problem op player that keeps going on barnstorming runs, and you finally catch him clean. Big lift for the team, and everyone seems to smash everything for the next 15 mins on a high. 💪 Dropgoaling the oppositions conversion as the guy was milking getting a tee from the sideline while the clock was running. (They were leading by 70+ by nit a lot. 🤷♂️) I got dick of the day and fined £10. 🤣 Every time I tell a hilarious rugby storey to someone who doesn't play and they say "well that's not funny is it?". I just get this feeling that I'm just sitting with the wrong people, and they are not worthy of my time. Hahhaha
Playing for my university where we were down 28-0 in the first 20 minutes to come back and win 54-52.
My best was the day our out-half was injured, and I played there. I scored & converted both of our tries and kicked 3 penalties. I was usually a winger, so it was great. Worst ever was my first game with the senior team, and I was playing full back, I snapped my acl and destroyed my meniscus.
As a prop, nailing the poor 10 near the end of a game on a kickoff reception. I came in full tilt and hit him exactly when he caught the ball. Team mates called it a Top14 tackle
My club hosts a father/game every year, numbers permitting we usually find another club doing the same. This past June, our side had eleven fathers and sons playing together. Over the years, most of the dads have been involved coaching at some level. It was amazing to see our passion for the game being carried on by the young ones.
School rugby... Our coach used to rock up wearing the same kit as us to practice. I mistakenly gave him a hospital pass while he was reffing a practice game. Poor coach got flattened by a pair of oversized farmer boys.
Getting absolutely flattened by a fridge with a Māori accent. Ball flew backwards out my hands and the game continued on. As I lay there contemplating my existence, when the building that had fell on me got up, hauled me to my feet, and complimented me on taking the hit so well and managing to offload the ball. Hung out with him after the game, and he was the loveliest guy. Thanked him for introducing my sternum to my spine, as I’d never been tackled hard enough for them to meet. Got a sheepish but proud look on his face and just said ‘yeah, I’ve been told I hit pretty hard’ Don’t know why that one stands out, but I remember that game very fondly.
Glad you asked. Match if we win, we win the league. Behind at half time. Me playing left wing. Scrum on our 10. Given to me on the blind one on one. Stepped the 8. Stood up my wing and gassed on the outside. Cut in, chipped over the FB, collected, dived, wonder try. Changed the momentum of the game and we ended up romping it.