February 27th: Rugby

I would have never predicted it because  I had NO idea I’d find so much joy in watching a six nations rugby match on BBC America with my son-in-law Alex.  A huge part of the happiness was seeing the match through his eyes.  You see he played rugby at Reed College in Portland and continued playing while he was working on his PhD at the University of Washington.  He knows the sport inside and out and so he not only filled me in on the rules and his knowledge of some of the starts, but he took the time to explain many of the nuances of the game. It was way fun.

I never saw him play rugby, though I have seen the repercussions of some of his rugby injuries. Those guys are tough, and they don’t wear all the protective gear worn in American football.  I’m embarrassed to say that during the match I must have said, “Whoa, those guys are tough” about twelve times.  Although he didn’t say it, I’ll bet Alex was thinking, “Well of course they seem particularly tough to you.  You play tennis and golf.”

By the start of the second half I understood what was going on well enough to know when to get excited.  After a really good play I whooped it up like I’d been a fan for…for….well, about an hour.  Turns out the game came down to the very final seconds and Alex’s team for the day (Ireland) beat the English team 20 to 16.  I had a great time.

Alex graduated from law school last spring and then dove into studying for the Utah Bar and the Patent Bar exams like those passionate players did chasing that ball.  Preparing to take those tests took him from us for a season and I haven’t had a chance to spend much time with him and so this was a very cool thing for me.   He brings a unique perspective to our family and as I celebrate the diversity of opinions and ideas he’s shared with me I’m doubly happy for the unexpected joy he brought today.

While we were watching the game he reminded me of a visit we had while he was living in Seattle and was recovering from a rugby injury. I was happy remembering when, after marrying my only daughter, he had his two knocked out front teeth replaced permanently.   Like I said, (make this the thirteenth time today)  those guys are tough.