_THINK ABOUT IT_ Jul. 2012 | Page 10

I am one of those people who never feel enough practicing a sport, I have tried a lot, but I have never found something that really catches my attention. Until one day someone told me about rugby and this person said “come on... Try a new sport, a popular sport in foreign countries, a frightening and thrilling sport, this one will teach you and show you a lot of things. You will love it.” But, what is rugby?

Well rugby is a physical contact sport. The objective is to take the ball to the rival’s “in goal” zone, and put the ball in the ground, this is a “try”. It means five points, and you can kick the ball for two extra points. Each team is formed by fifteen players, eight forwards (they are really big players and stronger) and 7 backs (they are really fast and skillful). The forwards work to keep the ball and the backs use it to attack. The offside is marked by the ball, and no one can be in front of this one. Just the player who carries the ball can be tackled.

The rugby was born in 1823, when a student of a college took the ball in a “mob football” game and he brought it to the rival’s goal.

name of this student was Webb Ellis, by these days the football rules were not the clearest, and the rugby’s either. In 1880 was created the International Rugby Board, and in 1987 the first World Rugby Cup was played. In 1993 the rugby was born in Colombia, supported by Mr. Hans Rausch. He worked to teach the sport in Medellin.

Rugby is popular in foreign countries; the top three are formed by New Zealand, Australia and South Africa.

I learned the most important things about rugby while I belonged to Minotauros Rugby Club. I found warmth people, who always were pushing me to be better, but at the same time they were supporting me. The heat of the game creates links between the players, for that reason I found a second family, a brotherhood. The rugby is a hooligan’s game played by gentlemen, you can see in match, hits, punches, fights, but at the end you can drink some beers with the rival team and be friends.

Rugby is a passion game.