A few months ago, I created a blog post titled 'what does rugby mean to me?' and in that I spoke about how rugby has helped me to shape friendships, maintain a sense of self worth, keep me motivated and most importantly, that rugby means everything to me. (If you want to check out that post, follow this link - https://ashleighrugby.wixsite.com/ashleighsrugbyblog/post/what-does-rugby-mean-to-me)
From this blog post, I decided to reach out to people and ask them what rugby meant to them, as a way of finding out new things about people from different backgrounds to me, and understanding how different perspectives help to build up our wonderful sport that is rugby.
One response that particularly stuck with me was this from someone who has recently just gotten into rugby: "I’ve been playing rugby for about a year and a half now, before I started rugby I really struggled with my confidence and self esteem. When I started I was really nervous and shy, I wouldn’t speak to anyone. My teammates really helped me not only grow as a player but grow as I person and now I’m so much more confident and chatty. Without rugby I don’t know where I’d be and I’m so grateful that I am able to play and I’ve got such a good team with me. Rugby means the world to me." The reason this is so meaningful to me is the fact that they really show their appreciation for rugby and it suggests that without the sport, they wouldn't be the person they are today. This made me realise that we're never alone in how we're feeling, because they went through the same struggle I did - being nervous and shy - and showing me that rugby helps people to come out of their shell, and so rugby is perfect for our developments.
From a different perspective came a supporter of rugby, a keen fan of the sport: "What rugby means to me (I don’t play and have never played) is a sense of friendship - friends I have made through rugby are priceless, is a fun thing for me to watch with husband and friends and is a way of keeping connected to other people - rugby family is so often spoken about but never really explained and I am not sure if anyone outside of rugby will understand. I love the game, the friendships and the fun days out." I felt like this was an important one to share because of the reality that life is when given opportunity. This person has never played rugby, but it gives them another family and the chance to spend time doing what they like to do - watching rugby. It goes to show that you don't have to participate in sport to love it just as much as someone who does participate which is so important in our lives.
Finally, a common answer when I asked the question 'what does rugby mean to you?' was the answer that rugby gives a sense of teamwork and friendship, friendships that will last a lifetime. It gives challenge and acceptance which is what everybody looks for in life. Most importantly, it gives us rugby players and fans another family that we can count on in life. Rugby gives us all a place to belong.
Look out on my Instagram @ashleigh.rugby for when I share what rugby means to myself, and other stories I've picked up on the way. Rugby to me is everything.
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