By rugbyfuture -
December 1st 2009 @ 3:12am
Get a Roar profile
Loading ...Related coverage
Rugby as a religion to modernise the game
As a Catholic North Shore private schoolboy, I have noticed a similarity between Christianity and rugby in Australia. Both have had schisms, resulting in two different codes, and both have to fight for popularity of the general public.
This leads me to what rugby union needs to do.
In 1962 the Vatican (Catholic Church) began the Vatican council (commonly known on this occasion as Vatican 2). This council was aimed at modernising the church, whilst retaining its character and overall ideology.
Such a meeting could happen within rugby: a meeting of the most powerful rugby unions aimed at modernising, simplifying and strengthening the game today.
This would be more equal than simply leaving the idea of progression to the overtly conservative IRB (and the northern hemisphere union’s strength) and give those most at risk (Australian rugby) a very public herald to what the game may become, world over.
It seems, even though all recognise the demise of rugby in Australia is a danger to rugby worldwide, none are willing to act until they are called to arms.
(26)
Pippinu said | December 1st 2009 @ 7:08am | Report comment
It’s a good analogy.
One could argue, in Australia at least, that League ended up becoming the more progressive branch of Christianity, even if followed world wide in fewer numbers, while Rugby is indeed the more catholic of the two.
sledgeross said | December 1st 2009 @ 7:40am | Report comment
Rugby the more catholic of the two????
Umm, Pip, League is played only by Catholic schools here in Sydney. While some of the upper class catholic High Schools have branched out into rugby, the working class, catholic western suburbs schools like De La Salle, St Gregs, Terra Sancta, All Saints etc have been the lifeblood of the game.
AC said | December 1st 2009 @ 8:18am | Report comment
By analogy mate, geez!
Pippinu said | December 1st 2009 @ 8:49am | Report comment
Thank you AC.
And also – I was being too clever by half – using catholic with a small “c”!!
I should add, in Canberra at least, Rugby is strongest in the Catholic schools (where aussie rules is also quite strong).
sheek said | December 19th 2009 @ 11:37am | Report comment
Pip,
it was the Catholics, especially those Irish fire-breathing, English-hating brothers & priests of 100 years ago, who urged their flock to take up the “people’s game” (league) & not the “toffies’ game” (union) as played up the British upper class twits.
Strange to relate also, how Catholics figure prominently in league & union. One of the biggest scandals in league history involved a Catholic getting well & truly done over (apparently) by those evil Masonic forces.
Len Smith was selected for the ill-feted Wallaby tour of Britain, Ireland & France in 1939/40. The very day their ship docked on English shores (3 September, 1939), Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain declared war against Germany.
The tour was off!
Then in 1948, Smith was captain of the Kangaroos against NZ, & was considered a certainty to lead the 1948/49 Kangaroos on its tour of England & France. Incredibly, he was omitted, despite winning both tests against NZ.
It’s believed Latchem Robinson wanted to coach the Kangaroos, rather than have Smith as captain/coach. Robinson had his masonic mates gang up on Smith & sack him….. so the most popular version of the story goes.
Religion….. it’s everywhere. Strange when you consider so few of us practice our faith regularly!
Bay35Pablo said | December 19th 2009 @ 11:41am | Report comment
Sheek, we damned aspirational Catholics. Start off working class, voting Labor, playing league and thumbing our nose at the toffs. Now we’re all middle class, voting Liberal, sending the kids to schools that play rugby, and saying people shouldn’t denigrate those who work hard and earn their money …
… oh, the irony!!!!
rugbyfuture said | December 19th 2009 @ 11:55am | Report comment
except the marist brothers run joeys, the jesuits run aloys and view, christian brothers waverly and st pats strathfield and st pius chatswood, not to mention john paul II represented Poland
sheek said | December 19th 2009 @ 12:45pm | Report comment
Pablo,
It’s a weird, weird, weird, weird world. In fact, I think they made a movie with that title……….
True Tah said | December 1st 2009 @ 8:50am | Report comment
sledge,
St Gregs are playing rugby now as well as league.
Working Class Rugger said | December 1st 2009 @ 1:30pm | Report comment
TT
They certainly do. In the ISA 1st Division.
Matt S said | December 1st 2009 @ 7:53am | Report comment
I always thought union was closer to scientology
M1tch said | December 1st 2009 @ 8:45am | Report comment
Does Tom Cruise give the Wallabies pep talks lol
rugbyfuture said | December 19th 2009 @ 11:11am | Report comment
since rugby league was the one created more recently to gain money for its founders?
Dogs Of War said | December 19th 2009 @ 11:15am | Report comment
No, Union was the one whose founders kept all the money, depriving the participants of any financial gain. League liberated Rugby by splitting the spoils between everyone.
rugbyfuture said | December 19th 2009 @ 11:25am | Report comment
in relation to scientology, rugby league was founded for monetary purposes and was banned in france.
Bay35Pablo said | December 19th 2009 @ 11:35am | Report comment
I always thought it was a huge practial joke by Hubbard, to see if he could get away with it …
… and he did!!!
rugbyfuture said | December 19th 2009 @ 11:38am | Report comment
his most widely known quote, before scientology was “the best way to make money is to start a religion”
jacko said | December 1st 2009 @ 8:54am | Report comment
Not sure i see the point of mixing fairy stories with rugby…
oh hang on….
now I see the link….
watching wallaby games this year was like a fairy tale – I couldn’t quite believe in what I was seeing!
*lol*
sledgeross said | December 1st 2009 @ 9:05am | Report comment
I know TT, but I would classify Gregs in the “elite” class now, what a campus they have!
Working Class Rugger said | December 1st 2009 @ 1:35pm | Report comment
Sledgeross
St Greg’s ‘Elite’. Wow, I’ll tell my mate’s we attended an ‘Elite’ School. Though I have to admit the facilites at the school are very good and alot of work has been done since I left ( returned recently to see an former teacher and actually got lost) but if this is the case doesn’t that blow the RL working class ideal out of the water. Considering St Greg’s has been a RL nursery for as long as I can remember.
sledgeross said | December 1st 2009 @ 2:01pm | Report comment
Not really at all “working class”. St Gregs have become a successful school with an enviable sporting record, and one of the few western sydney catholic schools to go over to rugby. Im sure you an vouch for the high quality facilities they have out there to ensure sporting success in whatever code they wish to apply themselves in.
Maybe they should be considered “elite” because they play rugby
Working Class Rugger said | December 1st 2009 @ 4:44pm | Report comment
Sledgeross
Well you do have a point there. My former Headmaster would be very pleased with an ‘elite’ status as it was his vision for the school. And admittedly the annual tution fee’s these days would be, no, are well outside the realm of possiblity for most in the area.
St Greg’s still isn’t taking their Rugby as seriously as they could. As Sledge has mentioned they have everything they need to be a real force in schoolboy Rugby ( a fitted gym, multiple fields, Olympic sized swimmimg pool).
rugbyfuture said | December 2nd 2009 @ 2:18am | Report comment
geez i went to aloys on sydneys north shore and sounds like this st gregs place has alot more going for it than any other school except for maybe kings joeys and view, but the whole thing about the catholic attachment in the catholic system to league is going out the window since alotta catholics have become much well off than the protestant and other communities and the fact that the head of the catholic schools association has started to threaten to tear the link because of Rugby leagues off field scandals and its “opposing values”
sledgeross said | December 2nd 2009 @ 7:09am | Report comment
And also take into account the “sports high schools” that have come into vogue. League is seen as a big sport to them, and thus the dominance of the western catholic schools appears to be waning (in addition to the social implications outlined by rugbyfuture)
King of the Gorganites said | December 19th 2009 @ 11:47am | Report comment
Catholics in Australia quickly adopted sport (be in Rugby, League or AFL), more so then there protestant counterparts. What sport a Catholic school adopted was not based on class as much as the protestant elite schools (that play only Rugby). it was the Orders of Catholic brothers (namely Jesuits and Christian brothers) that strongly endorsed sport for its participants. Chirstian Borthers schools adopted Rugby or league, it did not discriminate, and then through history it seemed to focus on that one particuar sport.
the analogy of Rugby to Catholicism is a valid one. Catholics are Catholics due to the virtue of being born it. Rugby players are simply rugby players. We dont have to justify it to any one. In the same way as Catholics are Catholics. Oustiders criticise both and deride it as anicent and failing to adopt to the time. However, for those who are blessed to know either one can see the beauty they can bring and feel sorry for those who can not. Unlike evangelical Christians who have to preach and conveince people how great they are, rugby and Catholics are a more humble type. We know we have the right product even if a lot of people disagree.
rugbyfuture said | December 20th 2009 @ 11:11am | Report comment
gridiron and afl is the pentecostals, but yes, i understnad that the sports with education as i went to a Jesuit rugby playing school here in sydney they accentuated the values of sport combined with the education process, all of us had to play sport, even though we lost all the time, we liked to think of ourselves as the community and pride champions of the sydney private school system