Ahh..the first day of outdoor rugby practice for the season. It's a beautiful day...can't wait to get out and finally strap on the boots (for those who don't know, we wear 1/2" metal cleats...;) ) and start hitting... :). Wish me luck....hopefully I won't come back to work tomorrow broken...lol.

In honour of our first day of "real rugby" for the year, I've changed my user sound to the Haka, a traditional Maori war dance/chant performed by the New Zealand All Blacks (the national side) before the start of every match. It's something I listen to before every match...it makes my nerves stand on end and my skin tingle.

Also...I've decided to throw in the lyrics and translation...for those who care to know...


First the Maori:

Ka Mate! Ka Mate!
Ka Ora! Ka Ora!
Ka Mate! Ka Mate!
Ka Ora! Ka Ora!
Tenei te tangata, Pu'ru ru-huru,
Na'a nei tiki, Mai whaka-whiti te,
Ra Hupane! Ka-upane!
A Hupane! Ka-upane!
Whiti te Ra!
Hai!

Then the English:

We're going to die! We're going to die!
We're going to live! We're going to live!
We're going to die! We're going to die!
We're going to live! We're going to live!
This is the man, so hairy,
who fetched, and made shine the
Sun! Step upwards! Another!
Step Upwards! Another!
The sun shines!

Well...I've been saying it since mid-November and last night was "Judgement Day". That's right, the first practice of the new year. And the results? (Like EVERY YEAR...I apparently lack the ability to LEARN!!) I hurt. My back, my quads, my HIP FLEXORS KILL, my abs, my neck, everything. Even my intercostals hurt. (Not a good sign when your ribs and lungs are burning after the first practice...) On the plus side...I'm faster now for some reason than I was last fall...a full .2 of a second faster in the 40. AND I made a ridiculously stellar pass for a try playing speedball last night...falling down, OVER a defender, to a winger breaking on the outside. It was perfect...flat...hit the wing in-stride...anyway...I digress from my description of the complete and utter pain I'm in right now. Did I mention I'm in pain?

Oh well...only a couple of weeks of feeling slightly better than death and I'll be back in the swing and better off for it. Only about a month until our first match...I need to make it count. (Even though the spring/summer is our "fun" season...tournaments and whatnot).

Back to work....

As so many of you have expressed an interest in watching a local men's rugby match, I've decided to declare this Saturday (yes, tomorrow!), WNY Rugby Day!

As such, everyone is invited out to watch your own South Buffalo RFC Thugs take on the Cortland-Homer RFC Thundering Herd. The game begins at 2pm in Switzer Park (formerly Knox Park) in West Seneca. Directions to the pitch can be found by clicking on the South Buffalo Rugby link in my "links" section. Or by calling yours truly @ 716-949-0090 (and for those who don't know, my name is Austin, or "Derf", or about a million other nicknames). You're encouraged to bring chairs (although we do usually have an awning over a set of bleachers) and beer.

So bundle up, bring out the booze and your voices and help cheer on the Thugs as we look to clinch a playoff berth with a win this week.

So..who's coming out? :)