Sometimes you have to remember that whilst we sit here wasting our working days reading the internet and thinking the most important thing in the world is the latest football/rugby signing, that half way round the world our soldiers are fighting a War. Not the Halo make belief one that we all think we rock at, but an honest to goodness real DEATH giving, widow making one.

So the Rugby lads that are true Patriots and selfless have organised a Rugby Match this Saturday at Twickenham, Help for Heroes. It’s basically all the English Greats (and Dan Luger) against an International XV, which is Captained by Scott Gibbs (the ex Dual Code player and former soldier) and also includes Big Jonah Lomu.

They are hoping to raise 1 Million of your English pounds to give to Forces Charities. So if you can buy a ticket, I know I wish I could go, or at the very least switch on and support from the comfort of your armchair? If they do provide a number to give donations, how about digging deep and giving at least the cost of a round. Honestly it will make you feel good!

Some French guy is whinging about English football clubs being too good. I don’t follow football but I’m sure the National team are pants. Anyway, he says we can afford all the best players. Full story here –
I’m A Big Girly French Whinger

He should look at Rugby. Whilst the English teams have a salary cap, French Rugby doesn’t. For example: Toulon have bought every star they can get their slimy French fingers on. They even paid Tana Umaga £200,000 for 8 matches… He’s now back as a coach and they are still spending silly money.

So bloke from Marseille, shut up.

Despite being kicked off their home ground by the Wigan Owner Dave Whelan, because he favours poncy footballers. Wigan Warriors won their “home” game of the play offs at Widnes.

I thought they played very well, and did deserve the Win. However, Steve McNamara the Bradford coach has been whinging about the Video Ref’s decision to disallow a try due to a knock on.

Firstly: Shut up, you lost by 16 points so an extra 3 wouldn’t have made any difference.
Secondly: These things happen, and everyone knows that over the course of a season they even themselves out.
Lastly: We Won, We Won, We Won.

Catalan Dragons are the next opponents. Surely we can stuff the French? Which would then see us in to the Finals… Come on you Warriors.

Unbelievable, we’ve only been going a couple of days and already we’ve got a guest submission from over the internet (Please see the bottom of the post for details of how you can join in)  Stevo, a rather fanatical Rugby fan decided to set us straight on the errors of our Footballing ways.  Seeing as how there is already a large football bias amongst the lads that write here we thought we’d invite him to contribute in the future.  Anyway, here in all its glory is the rant…

Rugby League vs Football

Firstly it’s no contest, Rugby League players are down to earth true professionals that would really play for nothing more than the love of the sport. Meanwhile football players are money grabbing prima donna’s that care more about the way they look and their next WAG conquest (Note from Billy: maybe if Rugby players weren’t so battered and ugly they’d care more about chicks as well?).

For a start how can any sportsman be worth paying £200,000 a WEEK? There was something in the news last week that said they were going to offer £130 MILLION for Ronaldo next year…… WTF. The entire wages bill for all 30 odd players in Rugby league is £1.5 Million per year.

Footballers spend 90 mins kicking the ball between each other, falling over when someone invades “their space”, rolling on the floor and abusing the officials. Christ almighty, Gareth Hock got a 5 match ban for talking back to the official in strong terms… 5 weeks!!

Very occasionally the “Footballer” will take a wild stab at goal, and considering they are “professionals” and I assume train several times each week when not on photo shoots, they invariably miss the goal by miles. Apart from that it is a yawn fest. In Rugby League, each collision is a thing of beauty and a fine example of real testosterone filled sport. The sight of an 18 stone man mountain running at full steam into another 18 stone monster. Sheer class, even from your living room you can almost see the TV shake. Then just as they are hitting the ground a deft one handed release to the supporting player allows them to break the line. I’m getting hard just thinking about it. (Note from Billy: I’m getting scared now).

I remember once that some footballer, think he was a goalkeeper, wore a plastic face or something because he was either ugly, on the dole to subsidise his £120,000 per week salary and didn’t want the social to recognise him, being chased by the CSA or he once fractured a cheek bone. He became some sort of an endurance God and went to live on Mount Olympus, hailed by all for his “bravery”. I could name several much more heroic testaments that happen week in week out in Rugby.

Andy Farrell broke his nose; they reset it on the pitch and then taped it up, 15 mins later he got it smashed all over his face. There was no way to reset it, so he just carried on. The doctors told him to lay off playing for 4/6 weeks, but he was back on the pitch that next Saturday.

In the Challenge Cup final 2002 Kris Radlinski had spent all week in hospital with a serious foot & blood infection. In fact at one point his foot had swollen ten times in size. On the morning of the match, he checked himself out, took some pain killers and went to the venue. His foot was still pretty swollen so they had to cut his boots to make them fit. Not only did he play the whole match, but he also won the Lance Todd Trophy for best player.

IF you need more, then here it is:

In 2006, Wigan the once mighty Super Club of Rugby League were firmly at the bottom of the league and looking at relegation for the first time in their history. Kris Radlinski who had retired due to being unable to walk as his knees were so bad, came out of retirement and offered to play for NOTHING, just so Wigan wouldn’t go over the salary cap. Before and after each match he received pain killing injections, and his remarkable commitment to the club was the inspiration to not only avoid relegation, but they only missed out on the play offs by millimetres. Name ONE footballer that would risk permanent disability AND play for nothing?

Wayne “Buck” Shelford played for the All Blacks and is famous for the infamous “Battle of Nantes”. Roughly 20 minutes into the match, he was caught at the bottom of a rather aggressive ruck, and an errant French boot found its way into Shelford’s groin, somehow ripping his scrotum and leaving one testicle hanging free. He also lost four teeth in the process. Incredibly, after discovering the injury to his scrotum, he calmly asked the physio to stitch up the tear and returned to the field to play.

Basically, Rugby Players real men, Footballers twats.

Thanks Stevo for your first contribution to the community. So from what I can gather Rugby players are stupid, is that your point? Anyway we look forward to more words of wisdom from Stevo. If you’re passionate about a sport and want to contribute to the sports community then just drop an e-mail to thesportscommunity@gmail.com Of course you can always just comment as well!

Heard a story that last night that Dave Whelan, the owner of Wigan football and Rugby League clubs wouldn’t let Wigan Rugby club play their home game?  What makes it even stranger is that this was a hugely important game against the Bradford Bulls for a position in the play-offs.  The game ended up being played at Widnes’s ground where they were a lot of angry “we’ll not forgive or forget banners”.

Anybody know what is going on there?  This seems to have come right out of the blue.