All Black fan Tim Cronin from Rugbyshirts.net pays his respects
Following events over the weekend I have shelved the post I had planned, and I wanted instead to express my condolences to the Irish rugby community following the tragic loss of Nevin Spence.
The out-pouring of grief that I have seen online over the last 48 hours has struck home to me how very special the international rugby community is, and how, while we may not recognise it at the time, we forge relationships and foster a brotherhood every time we trot out on the pitch or share a drink at the clubrooms on a Saturday afternoon.
The small Christchurch club that I am involved in was severely affected by the Canterbury earthquakes in late 2010/early 2011, and it was these trying times that reiterated to me the bond which rugby creates.
Following the quakes we received support from right across the world. Clubs that we had no existing relationship with reached out to help us, recognising the importance of sport to a community. From a group of Aussies in the NSW country competition to a French side who held a fundraising weekend for us, with former French internationals playing a Legends game, the assistance we received was both humbling and inspirational. And while we received a number of very generous donations, the most heart-warming things were the messages of support that were sent to us.
I always enjoy watching boxers embrace at the end of a tough fight, and in a lot of ways rugby is similar. On the field it is combat; physical, man on man stuff, which brings out the best in us, and there is a lot of mutual respect which comes from those 80 minutes on the park.
There’s nothing like the banter that opponents share after a match, or the tall tales that teammates relate to each other about the 80 metre try they scored back in the day, stepping 12 hapless defenders in the process. As much as the financial rewards for top players now make rugby a very profitable profession, you can never deny the value of shared stories and laughter over a cold beer, and the friendships that come out of the sport of Rugby Union.
That’s why, when a tragic event like this happens, an entire community feels devastated, and it’s why a group of blokes on the other side of the world feel for Irish rugby at this time. But I’m sure there will be some great stories about Nevin Spence shared over pints of Guinness in the coming weeks, and that his teammates will honour him appropriately by playing their hearts out the next time they take the field.
Tim Cronin is a Rugby fan and full time writer based in the rubble of the Canterbury Crusaders’ home town, Christchurch. Tim is a part of the Pukeko Sportsteam, where his role is watching, writing, and complaining about all things rugby.
