Sunday Morning Tighthead (Coming Down) - 20 Feb 2022

We are five years into Major League Rugby. Wifey & I have had season tickets to the SaberCats for all five years. We've missed ONE (1) home game (Season 2 vs Raptors in May on a Thursday because we BOTH had the flu). Just this December, I stepped away from being the Team Manager of Rugby HTX, the Cat's Senior (>18yo) Academy Team, because the day job's responsibilities increased.

So I'm bored and I want to say something, regardless if anyone is paying attention or not. This is a bit of a ramble, so please bear with or go do something else.

There's a lot to talk about in this season already. The Cats are playing entertaining, competitive, and yet sloppy (at times) rugby. All three Texas teams are playing entertaining and competitive rugby. Rugby HTX is a definite success with former players signed for multiple MLR teams, USA Men's 7s, Zimbabwe, and Colombia. It's moving in the right direction, generally.

But today, I'd like to talk about something that several new and veteran fans (even my wonderful wife) have complained to me about: how we talk about penalties.

First and foremost, I cannot change how commentators and public address announcers talk about penalties. They all talk about penalties differently and I don't even know if there is a "right' way to discuss penalties on telly or in stadia. 

Penalties can be confusing. The Cats' PA  Announcer Shane will proclaim "a penalty for the Cats" at the same time Lincoln Rose calls the same penalty as being "against the Gilgronis." Matt McCarthy says that New York "earned a penalty" or "was awarded a penalty" whilst Colin Hawley says that Atlanta "drew the penalty." None of those dulcet toners are wrong in what they say. Their description of what happened is accurate. So what's a rugby fan to do?

Learn the distinctions of all the ways to describe a penalty called and listen to the context of how its announced. Yep, that's it. Learn and Listen. This is something the collective we of rugby fans do not do enough.

I encourage all of us to learn the referee signals, as well as go to passport.world.rugby, register for a WR training passport, and take the free online courses about the game of rugby. Learn the order of what referees are looking for during play. Learn what "good" looks like. 

Trust me, you'll enjoy the matches much more when you know what's what. And it doesn't matter how long you've been involved in or around rugby, what's what in rugby is a goalpost in perpetual motion. 

Changes aren't permanent, but change is.