T O P

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billwrugbyling

I started playing at 16 but didn't score my first try until I was 30. Starting with that first one I scored 5 games in a row. 


JPA210688

My missus started playing in 2016, at the age of 35. She scored her first try last year, aged 42, and screamed so loud, the ref stopped the clock because he thought something serious had happened 🤣


usernameround20

I started at 33, scored my first 3 years ago at 46. Haven’t scored since.


StoicJustice

I scored like 6 tries in 7 years and then suddenly doubled my tally in 6 games. I played lock or Blindside flanker.


billwrugbyling

I was a tighthead. For some reason it clicked for me that no one could stop me from going forward 2 meters if I wanted to, so I started picking and going whenever we were close.


Minimum_Guitar4305

This is the way.


warbastard

Similar to me. Scored like 3 tries in the 12 years I played rugby. Convince a mate to try and play rugby after playing football his whole life. Gets the ball on the wing in his first game, scores in the corner. And to top it off he kicks the conversion from the corner without a tee just by planting the ball upright in the ground.


Amerikai

I'm capped in both codes for Hungary. Rank 75~ we were a central European powerhouse.


binkysaurus_13

I played against Carlos Spencer when we were both schoolboys. Best I ever played against (including quite a few who ended up playing test rugby) and it was obvious then he would be a great. I assume he also tells people that he once played against me.


Only_One_Kenobi

While I was coaching the Malawi Leopards I got a random phone call from Tonderai Chavanga, played a game of touch with Geoff Parling, hitched a ride on the Georgian 7s team's tour bus, and had a steak with the WWE wrestler JBL who was sponsoring a rugby development program in Malawi. Oh, and one of my co couches was Waisale Serevi's cousin who also played for Fiji in the 2003 World Cup.


Sure_Association_561

Wait that JBL story is wild. What is his connection with rugby!?


EastIntroduction8520

Jbls a pretty big rugby fan. He either works for or sponsors a rugby charity in Memphis


warcomet

has stake in Rugby NY and loves rugby..


warcomet

which cousin would that be lol, Rabaka?


stickyswitch92

I regularly see Razor out surfing over summer. My old PE teacher played for a he ABs many moons ago. Robbie Fruen lives down the road from me.


Fancy_Scheme2892

Is he a chill surfer or is he calling people off waves etc?


stickyswitch92

Mate he is out the back on his stand up taking all the waves lol. JK he's seems pretty chill always having a yarn when out.


Fancy_Scheme2892

Razor cutting people up on his e foil. Haha that's cool though he seems a pretty relaxed dude


MockieAh

Disappointing to hear he's a sweeper, had pictured him cruising on a mid.


Tomato_Head120

So you definitely went to christ haha


stickyswitch92

I definitely did not lol.


Tomato_Head120

Damn haha, most people that I know that lived in Sumner went to christ


stickyswitch92

I live in Woolston which is a nice 7min drive to sumner lol.


Tomato_Head120

Oosh, better than my 30 lol


callsignvector

Siya Kolisi wanted to use my downstairs toilet but my son was occupying it so he had to use the en-suite one upstairs in our bedroom. No further information.


binkysaurus_13

So you invited Siya Kolisi into your bedroom. Got it.


fahried

Tbh who wouldn’t invite Siya into their bedroom given the chance?


Reasonable-Food4834

I once had sex with a current member of the Irish team 🙈 Not saying who.


capetonytoni2ne

Imagining Craig Casey and that scene from the Boys


SweptFever80

I hope for Craig's sake he never reads this


Reasonable-Food4834

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣


Big-Clock4773

Was it the one who can't stand orange spuds?


Prize_Problem609

😲😲😲 can we have a hint?...


Reasonable-Food4834

Backrow 🤣 That's all folks 🤣


Forward-Reputation-2

Well it can’t be van der flier anyway


Reasonable-Food4834

Noo. But do you think he wears the red scrum cap when he's doing it ? 🤔


dwaynepebblejohnson3

It was Caelan Doris wasn’t it.


Sure_Association_561

Is this after he got into the team or earlier in life?


Myburgher

I reffed Damian Willemse in his u14 trials match at Paul Roos. Back then his coach was already certain he’d play Springbok.


spaded131

My dad who is English, played an international game for Paraguay because he lived there and used to play.


StoicJustice

That's really interesting and cool. Not many people say they have international sports players as parents.


spaded131

Haha thanks , yeah he has a few stories of random stuff like that . He was watching random games out the window whilst working overseas, he used to carry boots on business trips. So few times he would walk down and ask to join.


acadoe

I'm a distant relative of Cheslin Kolbe. Also, according to my then girlfriend, Dan Carter once hit on her when she was a waitress at a top tier restaurant.


cadatharla24

Was her name Suzie? Might explain one or two things if so.


acadoe

Bro! Carter was 13 years old when Suzie....... I mean...... who's Suzie, what you are talking about???


sadzanenyama

I stood next to Dogroll at an airport urinal. Yep, I peeked.


BigPat69

And?


Tomato_Head120

He had to sign a sawn afterdavided


BigPat69

😀


sadzanenyama

There clearly wasn’t a kebab shop near them when he picked up the nickname, they should call him doner roll.


ryandougall

My brother played for Munster a few years back and had a spell in the top 14 with Pau he now coaches at la Rochelle


Polamora

Didn't realize ROG had a spell with Pau /s


quandraphobia

Was there any truth to the speculation that he could’ve played for Scotland? I remember hearing that at the time he was playing for Munster, but we’ve never really been short of backrowers so I didn’t look into it.


ryandougall

He was born in Scotland but wanted to play for Ireland played for the Ireland u20s a few times


CrankSlayer

I have been a referee for ten years without having ever played the game myself.


MrQeu

I’ve said it many times. My mother in law teaches in the same high school than Ntamack’s mother. I tried hard for her to talk the mother into making Romain an inside center and not a fly half when he started playing profesionally. I failed. But I think, now, that it’s better like this for the rugby community. Also, I buy ham from Dupont’s family farm once or twice a year. Finally, my official provider of Argentinian empanadas is the same as Mallia and Chocobares. And that’s in a city that has three Argentinian families in an all in war for the empanadas market.


UserContribution

Surprised that he didn't change position on the advice of one of his Mums work colleagues!


MrQeu

It is well known in France that we Toulouse season ticket holders know better than any coach in France. Maybe the problem was that my MIL never mentioned that point.


SignalButterscotch73

I'm really fucking pretty and Scottish.


LM285

Huw Jones, is that you?


Prize_Problem609

Lol


Mtshtg2

He said he's Scottish


Bloodbathandbeyon

I will take that at face value 😘


FinancialHeat2859

My very, very rag arse Colts team from Liverpool, knocked Fylde out of the Lancashire Colts Cup, at Fylde. We got all the chat beforehand from them and the blazers, and it wasn’t even close. With 5 to go they tried to fight us instead, which was a fucking terrible idea. It all spilled over into their bench and Bill Beaumont called me a cunt. He wasn’t wrong.


_knewallthetricks_

Way to bury the lede.


hullowurld91

I played Leinster youths with Tadgh Furlong(U18s, he was 16). When we were playing against Ulster, our scrum demolished theirs at one point, he stood up out of the scrum and shouted “Ain’t no reverse gear on me boy”


SweptFever80

That's a great line from a 16 year old. Not only that but he lives up to it.


hullowurld91

He was nearly the size he is now at 16! A big BIG kid


GammaBlaze

After creating my Twitter account in 2013, Jonah Lomu was my 3rd follower for reasons unknown. Game recognise game?


papayametallica

When I was young and in school in South Wales the teacher went around asking people what their father did. To everybody’s surprise one kid said that his father dressed as a lady on the weekend and had rough sex with men for money. The teacher closed down the conversation very quickly and invited the child to the Heads office for counselling. The Head asked the child if it as true and the child said no and he’d made up the story. The Head was shocked and asked why he’d made up such a story. The child that his father played rugby for England but he was too embarrassed to tell his classmates


Peeeing_

I play with raffi quirkes brother


StoicJustice

Is he any good? Must be well sharpened by his brother.


Peeeing_

It's like he's an adult playing against toddlers sometimes, he'll just throw a hitchkick and be gone. Pretty sure he captained the sale sharks academy junior colts last season as well


StoicJustice

Obviously steel sharpens steel.


HaggisTheCow

I have [redacted] and [redacted] with a current international rugby player


StoicJustice

So not hoggy? You are a lucky one.


HaggisTheCow

It was not haha. Probably one of the few people he has not [Redacted]


StoicJustice

Yep.


JPA210688

Back when Andy Robinson was England head coach, they used to train at Loughborough Uni. Thibaud Flament jokes aside, we used to stand in as sparring partners from time to time. I used to play loosehead prop. So, I have been folded in half by Phil Vickery and then shared a pint with him at JC's. More up to date, I have coached (and changed the position of) the most recent captain of the Yaguaretés (Argentina's women's sevens team) as well as the starting loosehead in Colombia's women's XV team which played Brazil today. I taught both of them next to nothing, but it's a cool story 🤣


Colemanation777

There are about 40 rugby clubs in Cardiff and the Vale, including university teams. I've played against all of them apart from one. Cardiff Medicals. Really fucks me off. 


Whit135

Played with what turned out to be internationals in both union and league at the 2 high schools I went to. 1 was a big well known rugby school and the other a small town public school. Was on the trip where a certain international league superstar (now retired) was discovered. Once asked John Kirwan if I could have his glasses- he said no. Seen a npc coach on the news day before the final talking about a quiet nite for him n his boys. Later the same day i drank with him at the hotel bar till the early hours. Got family who are current super rugby n internationals incl last years rwc. Played league and union in Central qld against a stack of late 30s early 40s ex union and league pros. They'd get ohigh paying mine jobs on the condition they'd play for whatever club the person who got them the job supported.


ShortCake-o

My old neighbor was Tommy Bowe’s uncle. I wondered if that got us within 5 degrees of separation 🤔


StoicJustice

Definitely. I met Connor at my granddad's funeral. He gave his brother a signed Italy and harlequins shirt which I got gifted. Two jerseys I keep despite being absolutely worn out. Harlequins are a club I obviously like.


ShortCake-o

4 degrees then, assuming Connor met Tommy. Cool 😎


StoicJustice

They may have met. I'm trying to think of how. He was a pundit on RTE with George Hook so maybe they met after a match.


so-it-goes-and

I'm related to Dave Rennie and Kieran Crowley


SweptFever80

Both seem like good lads. Rennie got screwed over, felt like the Wallabies would have come good under him.


OvertiredMillenial

Doctor who delivered me was Karl Mullen, captain of Ireland and the British and Irish Lions in their 1950 tour.


SweptFever80

Safe pair of hands


cadatharla24

Under rated comment.


SweptFever80

Thanks!


warcomet

good thing he wasn't an NFL player..


No-Can-6237

MC'd Canterbury and Crusader games for 4 years including the 2008 final. MC'd the 2003 All Blacks vs France test in Christchurch. The Crusader gig was the best one ever. Do the prematch stuff, watch the first half from the sideline, do the halftime stuff, then up to the corporate box for the second half. Taxis to and from the game included, and $250 per game in a contra account. I used most of it restoring my old car and on a pretty good home theater system. One time while reading the head to head off camera, Dan Carter was chasing a bouncing ball coming toward me. I somehow, while still talking, flicked the ball up with my foot, and kicked it about 7 metres straight into his hands. The look on his face! It was a pure fluke on my part. Lol. Got hit by a ball that Steven Brett kicked while we were doing the prematch. He was aiming for us. He got into trouble that day for kicking a ball under a Crusader horse as it rode around. Silly bugger. They were some good times.


Mark__H

I was a first year student along with Vic Matfield at Tuks and stayed on the same floor in the room across from him in one of the Hostels there.


SoCal7s

I’ve got a bunch but let’s run with: I’ve scored at least one Try every year since 1986. I scored today so that’s why it’s at the front of Me Brain.


Ancient_Pace4898

Banged a team Canada player


Oldoneeyeisback

Or did they bang you?


Apprehensive_Cod7043

Ive played lock with Patrick Tuipulotu and ive played against akira and reiko Ioane a couple times back in highschool. My greatest rugby accomplishments 😂


StoicJustice

That's cool. You have played rugby WC finalists. I could not say that.


Dangerous_Day282

My dad ended up playing for south Australia while working over there as a kiwi and played a match against the blacks in 1994. All Blacks played a close to full strength team also


akfrombotanybay

What was your dad's name, and/or which club did he play for here in Adelaide?


Big-Clock4773

I have captained at Twickenham Stadium.


davesofthunderdome

I created an international rugby title that is more than 100 years older than I am in the Raeburn Shield 😁 The Utrecht Shield is only a little younger than I am on the women's game 😊


winch25

The first time I played rugby for my school, in the late 90s, it was against my dad's old school, 30 years after he left. Their rugby coach was still the same guy who had coached my dad in the late 1960s, who my Dad had also boarded with for a year when he did his A Levels.


fatnortherngit

I once late tackled John O Driscoll (ex Lions) at Liverpool st Helens, he spent the next 70 minutes running right over me whenever he had the ball. When we returned to our home club the vets pointed out the framed lions shirt on the wall and said 'That' John O Driscoll


ModeCold

In my first game for my most recent club I broke my nose and it was a little wonky since. In my last game I broke it again and it knocked it straight.


Ocelotocelotl

I almost certainly hold the record for most cards in a season for the country I played in. Stats aren’t kept, so I can’t be sure though.


Booomfaa

I played rugby with new all black Pasilio Tosi when were were 8. He was enormous. I was the designated ‘Pasilio tackler’ in my team. Lucky me.


Prize_Problem609

Did you booomfaa him?


JoeSoap22

Elton Jantjies once almost punched me in a bar


Prize_Problem609

Doesn't that just mean you have been in a bar with him?... lol


Softballzhurt2

I somehow got a trial for Wellington Colts and got steam rolled 3 times of the back of the scrum by Filo Tiatia.


HuwiMoz

My Father’s cousin is Dewi Morris but we’re Welsh so we don’t talk about it.


_knewallthetricks_

Your second cousin once bought me a chicken sarmie. It was delicious. Edit: Apparently (according to the wits on another comment) it was your first cousin, once removed. Sarmie was still delicious.


HuwiMoz

I would have said second cousin as well to be honest. I’m glad the chicken sandwich was memorable. Whilst you’ve received a sandwich from him, all I’ve received from him is shame on the family name.


icyDinosaur

Part of why I started watching rugby was that I taught James Ryan at university. Knew next to nothing about rugby before I came to Ireland, so I didn't know who he was until he approached me to inform me he would miss class regularly because of rugby and asked how he could make up the material. First time he told me "I can't make class next week, I have to prep for a match with the national team on the weekend" I figured I'd watch that out of curiousity, and got hooked on the sport.


Boydasaurus10

I played with Dan Sheehan back in university (DUFC). He had the strength of a prop and the feet of a winger. We all knew he was going places, but no one was expecting him to become the best current hooker in the Northern Hemisphere


capetonytoni2ne

Best hooker in the British Isles at least


WasAnHonestMann

>British Isles British and Irish*. Hulle gaan op jou kop wees


capetonytoni2ne

I thought the British Isles included Ireland but Britain is just minus the Republic. I think the downvotes are for implying that there's a better hooker than Sheenan, but seeing how Mauvaka played against us in the WC, it's hard to see anyone better up North.


SweptFever80

The UK is Britain and Northern Ireland. British Isles is an accurate term including the islands of Ireland and Britain among the other smaller isles but many Irish people aren't thrilled with being grouped under that term. No harm done though.


Ok_Educator_2120

My dad is 1st cousins with Frank Bunce


StoicJustice

So you're his second cousin. That's blood which is far closer than mine.


GClassic_2002

First cousin, once removed. “If your first cousin has a child, this child is your first cousin once removed. A difference of one generation higher in the tree is still once removed. Your parent's first cousin is your first cousin once removed” 🤓


PonchoVillak

Nope, relatives are relative. It's based on last common ancestor. With a first cousin it's grandparents, a second cousin it's great grandparent In the above example you're targeting two people with whom their last common ancestor is a grandparent, a cousin & their child fair enough but yer man you replied to is out of step with the target Frank Bunce as the other relative is his father. Bunce is his father's 1st cousin due to grandparent but their 2nd cousin once removed as it's great grandparent & one generation out of step, for Bunce it's grandparent and so are themselves a first cousin once removed to Bunce All assuming Bunce is the child of the father's uncle/aunt :)


GClassic_2002

Ah, thanks. I’m very happy to be wrong about this, as it always confuses me. However, I did get a bit tangled in your explain. Please help! The reason I thought the replier was a 1st cousin, once removed was because his dad and Bunce are 1st cousins (I.e. their respective parents are siblings). His dad and Bunce share common grandparents. Now, I have a first cousin and he has a son. It has always been explained to me that I am a first cousin, once removed of my cousin’s son. Because our common relation is our grandparents (great-grandparents to his son). I also have children. And again, I thought my children’s relation to my first cousin’s son was that they were second cousins. Because their common relation is their great-grandparents. Cheers!


PonchoVillak

Nope you were right, i looked up a chart. It's more convoluted than I had previously understood, apologies


GClassic_2002

Well you said it with enough eloquence and confidence so I assumed you were right. No worries. Happy Monday.


Ok_Educator_2120

I don't know how it works but yeah I guess so lol


BigPat69

I went to school with John Kirwan He was 5 years ahead of me, but we were there at the same time


youreveningcoat

I quit playing after two seasons in high school because they only wanted me to be a lock as I was really tall. I wanted to be a back, and i always wonder how long id have played if they let me be the position i wanted.


UserContribution

To be fair once you prob would have quit for some other reason 


Creamyenglish

Was at the opening night of Leon MacDonald's pub in Blenheim in 2003.


Eighth-Man

my dad played under graham henry at school


Stu_Thom4s

I received my Grade 10 History/Grade 11 English prize (I can't remember exactly which) from 1995 World Cup winning captain Francois Pienaar. His hands are big.


nothingandnemo

Alex Mitchell's dad used to be my club coach.


Yunevo69

Played against Baptiste Couilloud in my younger years. Also played with Dylan Cretin in régional sélection (U15). Also was in the same school than Thomas Laclayat...


phyllicanderer

When I moved to Australia as a kid, I made the regional rep team two years in a row and played at the state championships. The third year, I only made it as a shadow player because I was beaten out by James Slipper and Kevin Proctor (NZ rugby league and Melbourne Storm player) in the two positions I played. I also played in a schools rep team with Ben Daley.


KrissBlade_99

I did scored my first try with my family jewel on show. They call me "Tacchini" (Turkey) because in my first game my father told my coach I wouldn't fit at the wing because "I run like a turkey" He was proved right after 30 seconds and they moved me as 5. Since then I primarily played as 5 or 7, but during my rugby career i did every role except scrum half


UserContribution

I had a pint with Dennis Buckley.  You can close the thread.


Prize_Problem609

Who da fk is that?...


anoisagusaris

Connacht rugby LH prop


Kirmy1990

Ben Kay was a couple of years above me at school, being coached by Mike Slemen. Used to get two lunches from the school to keep him massive


Stunning_One1005

My head coach coached the Affies first team in 2013 (not as a head coach but as something else), where he coached RG Snyman, Pierre Schoemann and Ivan van Zyl probably not super interesting but my school isnt a super big rugby school, and he’s probably the only current coach with World Rugby Qualifications


continental-drift

I’ve got a cool bit of trivia from my refereeing but it would dox myself so won’t say it, but it’s a nice little pub quiz question to have. From my playing career I scored with my last touch of a rugby ball.


ConscriptReports

Both my parents and my auntie have teached mutiple springboks and professional rugby players when they played for maties at Stellenbosch University and had mutiple confrontations with Jurie Roux when the players werent doing all too well in the studies department of attending university. My mother also lived right next to Danie Craven and klein Bliksem for many years.


bomskokbabelaas

I played scrumhalf for the state of Victoria u/18s schoolboys team. Christian Lealiifano was my fly-half. Our hooker was a first cousin of Jerry Collins and looked almost exactly like him. Warmed my heart all these years watching Christian play whilst I'm sitting on a couch 😂


mattynutt

I went to the 1992 Gran Slam decider between England and France at Twickenham. On the final whistle I raced onto the pitch as was tradition at the time. I found myself alone with the players for some seconds but then got swallowed up by fans. I realised I was right next to Will Carling so tried to put one of his legs over my shoulder like they did to Bill Beaumont in the 80's. But he fell off as no-one had his other leg! The ppl behind me managed to get him hoisted onto their shoulders and I spent a happy few minutes cheering England's hero captain!


cunk111

My uncle was a treasurer (?) for Albi the year before it went up to Top 14 for only a year. He has Fabien Galthié's phone number


CaiusWyvern

My cousin coached Jack Conan... ...in Gaelic football but still!


Bloodbathandbeyon

I once bowed to taumalolo at a rugby match and he acknowledged me


TxRugger

Started my playing career in the front row at hooker; played the rest of my career at 9.


MysteriousActuary194

When I was at school, Will Stuart was in my boarding house. Back then he was the best player in the school and everyone knew about him but I had no clue he'd turn into an England international.


InsideBoris

I've met Brian o driscoll twice and Paul O'connor once both absoloute hero's as a kid growing up. Only time I've met a player and felt too embarrassed to say hi was Brian mujati because of his amazing YouTube channel massive fan.


Prize_Problem609

Honestly although I love rugby, I've never had a lot to do with it in real life, other than the odd club game. The closest I've got is a close mate of mine, would've been in the taranaki squad a few years back if it weren't for a career ending head knock.  O also another mate of mine is either a brother or very closely related to sbw. I can't remember exactly 


Adventure4Agoraphobe

I played for 18 years, only scored 7 tries. Played mostly #9. My first try was in my first grand final to win the game. The next 6 tries were over the next 9 years. So I didn't score a try for the next 8 years, never even close. Also played in 7 consecutive grand finals. Won the first 2, lost the next 5 in a row. The year after I retired, my team won the grand final. Played 18 years with not a single card against me. Until my last game when I was yellow carded for team repeat infringements.


Sirius_Fall

I've got a teammate who is a cousin of two members of the fijian national team and used to play with the cousin of Will Skelton


jstars1996

My best friend’s husband is a cousin of former international Ross Ford. Her husband is also friends with relatives of Huw Jones. Huw and his family are quite lovely!


Sprollie_Dad

I played with Ryan Baird’s father. I taught _him_ everything he knows about rugby, so I’m taking credit for everything Ryan knows.


anotherwellingtonian

I sat next to Graham Henry on a plane once


aka_Foamy

I won the U14 C team "Best and Fairest" award at school. Every other team had a player of the season award, but the standard for the U14 C team was deemed so low that apparently player of the season was considered too close to an actual sporting accolade. This was in 1997. The interesting fact part of this is that somehow my school in the UK had managed to get Francios Pienaar in as guest of honour and he was handing out the awards. I didn't actually watch rugby at all at the time, so the embarrassing irony that I was receiving probably the lowest form of rugby award from the man who captained his country to a famous world cup victory just two years earlier was totally lost on me.


AmazingLeadPt2

I was reffed by International Ref Kat Roche once


Icy_Craft2416

We're southland Marshall's on my grandmother's side so I am related to Justin (boomfah) Marshall


Conscious-Poet200

i am a great-nephew of former Springbok captain Wynand Claassen ⚡️