Beer & rugby : A woman praises the drink -up
Guest post from Jennifer Null, who lives in Baltimore and plays rugby for The Keystone Women in Philadelphia. She writes a blog, Professional. Rugby. Woman.
In rugby, we play the game, duking it out until the finish and then meet up afterward for a "drink-up." We have a beer at the other team's home clubhouse. We chat with the other team and "celebrate" the hard work each team has put in win or loss. All of the animosity the teams felt toward each other before or during the match disappears for those few hours.
As an American rugby player of almost 10 years, I've seen almost every way that beer can be a part of a sporting event.
I have given beer up to enhance my training in a competitive season, I have played in Ireland, where I have cordially had a Heineken or Bulmers (Magner's here in the U.S.) after a match with the other team while eating a nicely prepared meal.
I have slugged beer out of a boot that someone had just finished playing 80 minutes of rugby in, solely because I messed up the verse of the song I was singing.
Here in Baltimore, you’ll find several European natives sitting in Slainte Irish Pub on Thames Street on a Saturday or Sunday morning during the Heineken Cup, or 6 Nations seasons, having a Guinness and an Irish breakfast watching the matches.
There is no better way to start your day, then with a Guinness, an Irish breakfast and a good battle of arms between the Irish and the English for the RBS 6 Nations title, which Ireland ran away with this year.
Anyone else familiar with the drink-up?
Photo: Baltimore Sun file photo 2006
Comments
Love the drink-up.
The Best: Iona had a strip of bars manned almost exclusively by rugby folks.
The Worst: Navy. They had lukewarm Coke and brownies. And their fans suck.
I too have had to "shoot the boot." Serves me right for messing up a crucial verse of The S&M Man
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Posted by: Tamara | June 9, 2009 3:55 AM
Good guest article, Jennifer. Thanks for sharing.
Posted by: hangover cure | June 26, 2009 1:36 AM