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In generations gone by, boys went through a right-of-passage to evolve from being a young boy to a young man. The process was about the boy confronting his fears and in the process evolving into manhood.
There is little opportunity in modern life for boys to make that transition. With the exception of the services (defence, police, fire etc) the metro male has little opportunity available to transition his way into manhood.
Life in this century is about accumulating stuff and status is about how much and what brand of stuff he has – rather than who he is. We all know of emotional juveniles walking around in 40 year old bodies gauging their success on the number of boy toys they have.
Rugby is a sport that offers this evolving opportunity. Where boys confront their fear of tackling, being hurt and playing in an environment where fellow players also are getting injured.
This is the primordial psychological step of placing the body on the line regardless of the consequences, and surviving. Breaking that fear barrier in the process!
The emotion that separates man from the animal kingdom is empathy, which can be defined as the identification with or experiencing of the feelings, thoughts, or attitudes of another. Unlike other contact sports, rugby instills life core empathic values which include respecting yourself and your team mates, your opposition, the referee and spectators.
Whilst winning is important, equally important is how the game is played and what happens at the end of the contest, for example, forming a tunnel to cheer the opposition off the field, or in the Wallabies case forming a tunnel at the end of the recent Wales versus Wallabies match to honour the retiring Shane Williams. These empathic values underpin the culture of Rugby and help to define the Rugby male.
The recent inclusion of Rugby Sevens in the Olympics is a watershed for the game. Admirably, the ARU is now taking Rugby Sevens to the schools, placing an emphasis on fun and enjoyment, an opportunity for others to make the step from being a young boy to a young man and experience the empathic culture of the great game of rugby.
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.