Comments on: Rugby as a religion to modernise the game

By: rugbyfuture

rugbyfuture — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 01:11:49 +0000

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

By: sheek

sheek — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 02:45:02 +0000

Pablo,

It’s a weird, weird, weird, weird world. In fact, I think they made a movie with that title……….

By: rugbyfuture

rugbyfuture — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 01:55:30 +0000

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

By: King of the Gorganites

King of the Gorganites — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 01:47:24 +0000

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.

By: Bay35Pablo

Bay35Pablo — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 01:41:13 +0000

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!!!!

By: rugbyfuture

rugbyfuture — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 01:38:06 +0000

his most widely known quote, before scientology was “the best way to make money is to start a religion”

By: sheek

sheek — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 01:37:27 +0000

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!

By: Bay35Pablo

Bay35Pablo — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 01:35:55 +0000

I always thought it was a huge practial joke by Hubbard, to see if he could get away with it …

… and he did!!!

By: rugbyfuture

rugbyfuture — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 01:25:56 +0000

in relation to scientology, rugby league was founded for monetary purposes and was banned in france.

By: Dogs Of War

Dogs Of War — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 01:15:46 +0000

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.

By: rugbyfuture

rugbyfuture — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 01:11:36 +0000

since rugby league was the one created more recently to gain money for its founders?

By: sledgeross

sledgeross — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 21:09:05 +0000

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)

By: rugbyfuture

rugbyfuture — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 16:18:41 +0000

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”

By: Working Class Rugger

Working Class Rugger — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 06:44:29 +0000

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).

By: sledgeross

sledgeross — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 04:01:50 +0000

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

By: Working Class Rugger

Working Class Rugger — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 03:35:44 +0000

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.

By: Working Class Rugger

Working Class Rugger — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 03:30:43 +0000

They certainly do. In the ISA 1st Division.

By: sledgeross

sledgeross — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 23:05:56 +0000

I know TT, but I would classify Gregs in the “elite” class now, what a campus they have!

By: jacko

jacko — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 22:54:37 +0000

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*

By: True Tah

True Tah — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 22:50:15 +0000

sledge,

St Gregs are playing rugby now as well as league.

By: Pippinu

Pippinu — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 22:49:40 +0000

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).

By: M1tch

M1tch — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 22:45:30 +0000

Does Tom Cruise give the Wallabies pep talks lol

By: AC

AC — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 22:18:44 +0000

By analogy mate, geez!

By: Matt S

Matt S — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 21:53:21 +0000

I always thought union was closer to scientology

By: sledgeross

sledgeross — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 21:40:01 +0000

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.

By: Pippinu

Pippinu — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 21:08:26 +0000

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.