On the Pitch

One of the best parts about moving to a new country is learning its subtle differences—and even though Bermuda is just a 90-minute flight from the U.S. it sure does have its fair share of them. Saying good morning and good afternoon before making conversation? Check. Driving on the left hand side of the road in a car with a steering wheel on the right? Check. Rooting for your favorite hooker? Check. Wait a minute, you don’t know what that last one means? Neither did I until I attended the 22^nd annual World Rugby Classic last week (now get your minds out of the gutter). You see, I’ve never been much of a rugby fan. Having spent my childhood in baseball crazed New York City it was always about the Mets, whether or not my beloved team was causing the craze. That’s why I was delighted to attend this year’s tournament, which featured squads from around the world: the Lions from the United Kingdom, the Pumas from Argentina, the Wallabies from Australia, the Canadians from Canada, the All Blacks from New Zealand, the Springboks from South Africa, the Eagles from the United States, and Team France. We watched the Springboks play the All Blacks, a defensive struggle that ended in a 5-0 win for New Zealand and a few bloody noses all around. Seriously. American football players are a bunch of pansies next to these guys who play with no helmets, virtually zero padding and don’t leave the game unless something is broken or torn. Talk about toughness. All in all an excellent sporting experience, but consider this a lesson I'm happy to learn off the field.