Social Have you played Ruby Union?

[Beastmode]

Go.

 

[Worried2Death]

I met Ruby at a pub in Bangkok, she played me, turned out she was a man named Bruce. It was a night of new discoveries, got a tattoo, no regerts.

 

[John Nick]

I met her at a pub in Bangkok, she played me, turned out she was a man named Bruce. It was a night of new discoveries, got a tattoo, no regerts.

REGERTS ?? Never heard of that disease before .
.

 

[Worried2Death]

REGERTS ?? Never heard of that disease before .
.

She was obsessed with Carlaw Park and Eric Watson, knew her Ginger Baker albums though, strange old bugger. That miniskirt was the fatal attraction.

 

[PhilsySH35]

Back in the day when you could smoke cigarettes at work in your office, Worked for the dept of education (located at old govt bldg across from wlg railway station, ) and we played the states services commission located on Molesworth street, so put my hand up to help out, I played openside prop in league, an thought I was a good tackler how hard can this be, they put me at no: 8 and I let in 2 tries, not realising a number 8 is bit like a 2nd row or last man down no: 13 and so as a prop in league I used to stay in the scrum, couldn't break early on their feed, so on their feed, their no8 ran in ran in 2 tries while my head was still in the scrum, the thing I couldn't get used to was how hard it is to tackle a ball carrier in union, I mean in union the forwards run alongside or at the back of the ball carrier so you can't tackle the ball carrier directly as it's like they have body guards protecting the ball carrier, the only ones I could tackle were the backs. my one and only foray into union - never again, woke up the next day with sore muscles where I didn't even know I had muscles. must say I find there is a big difference between union and league, the difference is in size, union players are so friggin huge, our team did security at the basin reserve for kangaroos versus Wellington lions (back in the day the Wgton rugby league rep team was called the lions or something), anyway after the game we lost, I stood next to the great Wally Lewis and I was shocked how small he was, I expected him to be 8 feet tall weighing 25 stone etc, then saw all blacks and spring boks forwards in town one time they were scary huge compared to rugby league players, moral of the story "your expectations need to be realistic"

 

[watcher]

I played Union and always appreciated the hardness of League players. I was asked to try out for League but Union had observers there whiich meant an instant lifetime ban. The strongest man I met was yhe famous Keith zmirdoch. A really quiet shy doft spoken guy.

 

[Matiunz]

Played from high school and still do now with a couple of sabbaticals in between.
Started off Lock as I was tall for my age but no bastard could lift me the had the steady regression from Wing to Fullback to Midfield to 8 to 6 to prop… where I remain to this day

 

[Teets]

One thing about union compared to league where I am, is that in union you can find your level due to way more numbers and grades. Prems have a really elite standard with crazy athletes but any other level of player will have somewhere they can fit.

Whereas in league, you've got guys who would be colts, 85s, prezzies, Bs, Div 1 in union, all smashed into one reserve grade.

Some of the kids really struggle with playing against men. I remember a pretty jacked kid 19, 20ish coming to a full league pre-season. His first game against Turngawaewae, ill never forget his face at full time, looked like he'd seen a ghost. His exact words were a breathless "fuck, that was a war." Never saw him again.. in union he'd have a Colts grade to prepare for seniors.

20kgs ago I had a couple of great seasons in the union u85s grade which was mostly an excuse to get on the beers with some good mates in the team.

Had a pre-season run with a Div 1 Bs union team in the league off-season a few years ago against Ohaupo. Div 1 Bs is the easiest grade we've got down here i'd say.

Scored a hat trick in 15 mins, felt like prime GI. Subbed off straight after, half because it was blazing hot day in Feb, half because I felt sorry for the old codger marking me. But least the old codger had a level he could still particpate in.

That's why I really hope this open age restricted grade in the ARL continues to grow and the game across NZ finds more participants so we can get more grades.