Indian Rugby Thread ...

BSharma · Post by **BSharma** » Thu Nov 06, 2003 6:40 am

PKB, we can agree to disagree on this subject.

I feel that just because there is racism in some sport it does not mean that we should ignore it. Did India ignore the apartheid in South Africa? In fact, India was one of the leaders against that policy.

There is no rule in the international governing body of rugby that states that the sport is limited to white people or people of British ancestory. This sport is popular in Britain, South Africa, New Zealand and Australia, and they are good at it, and hence their news media gives a lot of coverage. If some day a non-white country decides to take rugby seriously then there is no rule that bars it from winning the Rugby World Cup.

The "lily-white teams" are not just limited to rugby. Look at sailing, motor racing, winter sports, golf, swimming (except for Chiniese women recently), etc and you will find white people dominating these sports. Should we ignore these sports?

And besides, this is supposed to be an Indian Sports forum. What is the point of a thread that talks about a sport that India does not play with any seriousness?

I am sure you are not trying to stop people from discussing a sport just because it is not popular in India. Please go back and look at the discussions in the Rugby thread and you will see that vishnureddy was happy that India beat Pakistan in rugby; Dhruv was watching World Cup rugby; Rohan thinks it is a nice game to watch and wanted to know the rules; Kumar had watched rugby on TV and wanted to know about the game. These people had an interest in this sport and you are trying to stop them from discussing it

. Certain threads will flourish or die depending on the interest of the members, and let that interest decide its fate rather than you, me or someone else.

PKBasu · Post by **PKBasu** » Thu Nov 06, 2003 1:34 pm

Bhushan, my point is that this is a sectarian sport that India does not play, so it has no place in the Sports India forum. vishnureddy's original post was interesting, but it is a completely minor side-light.

I have a right to my ideological opposition to this sectarian sport. I find your reference to apartheid somewhat strange. Precisely: India boycotted South Africa in the Davis Cup final in 1974 because of apartheid. By sponsoring a thread on rugby you are dignifying a sport that remains solidly racist and lily-white. African nations boycotted two Olympics because New Zealand was participating (having dignified apartheid by playing Rugby with South Africa). There is a rich history to this egregious and sectarian sport.
Hardly anybody outside Britain and its white colonies (plus the Pacific Islands that are cultural colonies of Australia) was ever bothered about rugby. Now that Indians, Pakistanis, West Indians, etc. are becoming dominant in cricket, Rugby has suddenly emerged from the closet as a heavily sponsored and merchandised sport. I am just attempting to raise consciousness about the history behind this sport.

Post by **Dhruv** » Thu Nov 06, 2003 4:23 pm

Well I like rugby and I don't see why we shouldn't discuss it. I have been away for a while again and only have sporadic internet access currently so couldn't post earlier.

Rugby has always been huge in NewZealand,, perhaps second to to sailing but I think it like cricket in NZ. In South Africa, rugby is a Boer sport unlike soccer and cricket. In Australia, rugby is only popular in the East (or is it West) whereas Aussie rules football, a crazy game IMO, is more popular on the other coast. However, Uruguay, Argentina,Italy, France etc all play rugby as well and are not British colonies and are fairly good at it. Infact, rugby is probably, well almost definitely more global (country wise) than cricket. The Aussies may well be the class of the filed in world cricket but they not get half as much attention as their rugby or Aussie rules counterparts.

Anyway, as regards whether or not this should be discussed here well rugby is an other sport in India and we can discuss it here. PK you have a right to your opinion and BSharma a right to his and you guys have a right to agree to disagree on this topic

Kumar · Post by **Kumar** » Sat Nov 08, 2003 2:14 am

Bhushan thanks for the clarification of the rules. Do they ever show this sport in America. I have seen this game in India (they show Rugby more often on ESPN in India than here)

...

BSharma · Post by **BSharma** » Sat Nov 08, 2003 4:17 am

Kumar, I know that Australian Rule Football is shown on American TV occasionally and it is usually shown late in the night when other popular American sports are not shown. The Australian Rule football is somewhat different from rugby however. I have not seen rugby on regular American TV channels; maybe some satellite channel may carry it. I believe Dhruv has been watching some World Cup rugby on TV in Canada and he could tell you more about it.

Many cities in USA have rugby teams now. It is becoming popular at high school level and amongst ex-American football players in USA. You could see a live game in your city if there are rugby teams.

Post by **Dhruv** » Sat Nov 08, 2003 12:18 pm

Fox Sports World carries it (rugby) here. I assume that is an additional digital channel or something in the US. Atleast that is what it is here in Canada. It also has football( soccer) from Europe other than the British premier league, and also occasionally shows some cricket matches. One of the better digital channels around for me in Canada.

PKBasu · Post by **PKBasu** » Sun Nov 09, 2003 10:03 am

Fox, given its Aussie roots (through Murdoch), probably makes a few more concessions to the likes of Rugby and cricket in Canada. From my years in the US (as a resident until 9 years ago, and a visitor since) only ethnic-type channels would carry rugby and cricket in the US. (Of course I am loath to talk of both those sports in the same breath!)

Rohan · Post by **Rohan** » Sun Nov 16, 2003 5:42 pm

Thanx for the info Bhushan

vishnureddy · Post by **vishnureddy** » Sun Nov 16, 2003 6:22 pm

A fine article on Rugby in India

sunnyd · Post by **sunnyd** » Sun Dec 14, 2003 5:56 pm

I'm pretty sure there is a rugby club in Mumbai (there probably might be one in Calcutta too considering it was the capital of British India but I'm not sure about this).

I watched a few games of the Rugby WC up here in Canada too. It is kind of interesting and I like it better than American football. I like the free-flowing way it is played while football has way too many stoppages and stuff.

BSharma · Post by **BSharma** » Mon Dec 15, 2003 3:00 am

sunnyd,

I know that some of the former students of La Martniere Colleges in Lucknow and Kolkata who have settled down in Mumbai had been playing rugby in that city but read about rugby and Mumbai in this link.

A rugby boom in the offing

PKBasu · Post by **PKBasu** » Mon Dec 15, 2003 9:28 am

I believe there is a league of some sort in Calcutta. LMOB (La Martiniere Old Boys) plays Armenians, and perhaps one or two other teams. Rugby in India is nothing more than a curiosity.
Once the Brits found they are no longer able to win at their main sports -- cricket, football and tennis -- they came up with some obscure sport in which they might win (as they finally did in Sydney a few weeks ago). I wouldn't dignify this sport that is basically played mainly by the Brits and their white colonies (plus other obscure outposts in the Pacific). They have somehow managed to penetrate into France and Italy, but ask a typical Frenchman or Italian about rugby and they are likely to be just as flummoxed by mention of the sport as most of us.
Cricket, incidentally, is a big hit in China too. China wants to be an ODI nation in 10 years and a test nation in 15. I say to them: dream on.

Post by **Dhruv** » Thu Mar 18, 2004 3:45 pm

Just saw an interesting article on rugby which I thought should be brought to your attention

http://www.keralanext.com/news/?id=29850

sunnyd · Post by **sunnyd** » Fri Mar 19, 2004 4:12 am

I didn't even know that India has a national team. Go India!

Realistically speaking though, does India have many players with the required physique? Many new rugby nations depend on British, Aussie or Kiwi players to boost their national teams. (Mercernaries are allowed in rugby unlike football hehe). I think Japan has quite a few New Zelaanders on the their team.

PKBasu · Post by **PKBasu** » Fri Mar 19, 2004 11:20 am

Dhruv, I saw that article, but it's one of those classics that shows just why Indian rugby is almost an oxymoron (except for LaMarts boys like Bhushan

). They picked up a farmer from England (who has never done anything more than coach amateur teams as a hobby!!) to be the coach of the "national" team.
Rugby is not a serious sport, folks. It is a rowdy activity carried on by the Brits and their former colonial outposts (with a few stragglers in France and Italy thrown in to make up the numbers) -- all masquerading as a sport.