Whilst I enjoyed school sports in my youth, I was never a standout at any of them, just found sports a fun thing to do. It also never occurred to me to adopt and support any particular sport or team to the exclusion of any alternative hobby or pastime. But that’s just me.
I think the fanatical fan thing never arose because of a very nice gentleman, a marine pilot, who I worked with on the Manchester Ship Canal. We had, as our local teams, Liverpool, Everton, Manchester United, and Manchester City. I never found it necessary to choose a favourite as most of my working time I couldn’t avoid the football conversations around these four teams.
Brian was a total Liverpool fan. Went to every match and supported them whatever the match result. But, as I said, he was a gentleman and would never have dreamt of reacting in any negative or physical way against other teams or their supporters.
But sadly, that was at the time when the fans of some of the teams above were beginning to draw notice for their violent behaviour, especially at away games in other towns or cities. But Brian persevered until he took his son to his first match, a home match in Liverpool.
This fine gentleman was so disgusted at the behaviour and by the language of his own Liverpool fans he left with his son. He never watched a Liverpool match again, yet remained one of our group who I respected as much as any. So sad that such a response would likely not even register with today’s ‘fandom’.
Glad I got that off my chest!
When I arrived in Canada with my Canadian lady, we chose Wainfleet as our home and I somehow found golf to be something I could enjoy. Over 20 years later I’m still not a good golfer and still play with a friend who more or less ‘adopted’ me when I met him at Whisky Run Golf Course.
I often played with him and his friends and began understand that he thought I should see just what a great country Canada was to live in. I already knew that and appreciated his obvious kindness, but then realized that as he and his friends were basketball coaches and very Canadian sports orientated, particularly with basketball, baseball, ice hockey and more, they expected me to become an immediate convert.
I’m afraid I let them down, yet he is still a great friend, as are the others, and we still manage a round of golf when I’m usually a token ‘Brit’, whilst they continue their sports chats which remain more or less a mystery to me, 20 years later.
What has this to do with contact sports, you may ask.
What I like best of all is to talk of contact sports when they are discussing football games and ice hockey games in both Canada and the US.
Now I do understand the need to offer our sports stars the very best protection to prevent injury, particularly concussion injuries. I do get that, so maybe this is just tongue in cheek.
But to all my Canadian friends, especially those sports fans, there is only one genuine contact sport really left to support. That would be Rugby Union. Okay, Maybe Rugby League as well.
No body armour, just a weirdly shaped rugby ball, and 15 a side, where the only object is the rugby ball and the need to gain possession of it to score ‘tries’ (a.k.a., goals or points).
The physicality and bodily crunches of rugby makes the CFL and the NFL look a bit like a tea party.
And putting a player onto the boards in a hockey game is no more physical than two very fit and large rugby players stopping each other in full flight which happens often in every rugby game.
Just before anyone thinks of having me deported, I do have good news for you all.
There are men’s and women’s Rugby Union Teams and Canada's are very, very good.
Our women’s team are currently No 2 in the world, with England at No 1. At their last meeting, in Vancouver a week or so ago, England came away with a win. Look it up and watch it if you want to see how a real contact sport played. In my opinion if the Canadian captain had not been out with an injury, then Canada may have won that match.
It gets even better. Next year is the Women’s World Rugby Cup, to be held in England. Though I will support England, I think Canada’s ladies will give them a real run for their money.
All you skeptics, take a few minutes of your time and watch a rugby game!
