10 life lessons learned on the pitch

Rugby has taught me many things like any injury can be fixed with enough athletic tape, grass works well for cleaning up blood, and never forget to bring actual under ware when going on a trip (It happens more then you think.) At first glance these lessons seem menial and useless, but amongst some of the weird lessons Ive learned, there are some gems that have really helped me in life, and I know I am not the only rugby player that has learned life lessons from rugby. I see a noticeable difference in people who start playing rugby, even after playing for even just a year. So here are 10 life lessons I've learned from my 6 years on the pitch, Let me know in the comments if you agree with this list or think I missed one!

1. Family isn’t always blood- Well rugby does have a quite a bit of blood being spilled on the pitch but thats besides the point.. Your rugby team, whether you realize it or not, quickly becomes your family. You cry, sweat, and bleed with these 20 other guys. When you're on the ground they will stand over you, protect you and then help you up. I've never served in the armed forces, but I believe the bond between brothers in arms and rugby players is very similar. We bleed for each other, protect each other, and fight for each other, and at the end of the day no matter what the result we come together as a family.
2. Respect- When the Sir makes a call you accept it, no arguing, no yelling, no whining. He's
   
   right you're wrong. This is a lesson I've learned to carry throughout my life, respect people with authority over you, do not argue with what your coach, boss, or teacher tells you to do, just do it. Arguing just makes the penalty worse, or upsets your superior, if you are upset with what they are telling you to do, calm down and ask them questions or to explain "the call". 
3. You win some, you lose some. Celebrate playing the game- Every rugby player has had a bad game, the one where you walk off the field broken and hurt over the loss and how poor you played, but at the end of the day when all is said and done, you got to play rugby today and that makes it a great day! In life you're going to have awesome days and then your going to have days where you want to crawl under a rock, on those bad days be happy that your alive and that you got to "play" today.
4. Its not about the mistake, its how you recover- Everyone drops the ball from time to time, but whats important is what you do after you drop the ball. Crying over dropped balls is a good way to let the other team score. If you drop the ball its ok, forget about it, get back into line and make up for it with a poach, a big hit, a try, or even just an amazing support line.
5. Team work- Rugby is a team sport, learn to play well with others, or forever lose. 
6. Be committed- When your down always get back up, you are on the pitch for 80 minutes with 14 other guys who are all depending on you. Giving up is giving up on them, and they don't deserve that. Finish what you start.
7. The best things in life are the least understood- Rugby isn't on T.V. all the time, I can't buy cheap jerseys for my favorite team at Walmart, and were known as football without pads, but its these things that make the sport that much sweeter. When rugby is on t.v. we all get together to enjoy every minute of it, when we do get a jersey of our favorite team its worth that much more to us knowing we will never be twinning with a random guy, and if we are we are probably going to make friends with that guy. And its ok if people think were football without pads, we know who came first.
   
8.  The opportunity will come- Sometimes in rugby you have to wait, the action might be in a different part of the field, or between other players. All you want is to get the ball, or make a big hit, but rushing up will do nothing but mess up the flow of the game. This is where you need to learn to be patient, the ball will come to you eventually and it will be your time to shine, make sure you make the most of your time in the lime light.
9. Brace yourself, people will take cheap shots- In the scrum or at the bottom of a ruck where its hard for the ref to see, people will take cheap shots. In your rugby career someone is going to step on you, or hit you just to try and hurt you and put you at a disadvantage. Learn to take these hits and let them drive you to press on and best your opponent without taking cheap shots. 
10. Success is often determined by last second decisions- You are running the ball and are 5 yards from the goal line, do you pass, grubber, take the tackle, juke? The decision could make or break the drive. The important thing is to keep your head and make the decision you think is best and then hit it at 100%.
    

Bowl Series Recap

The sun was shining, the grass was green, and some amazing rugby was being played all day, can you really ask for much more? The ACRC Bowl series was one for the books; the first of its kind it showcased to everyone how well a rugby series like this can be put on.  Top teams from around the country all made appearances and brought their “A” games, providing all players, and spectators in attendance some epic rugby matches to watch. Concession and merchandise stands were an awesome touch, selling shirts, balls, key chains, snacks, and beers (to those of age obviously). The matches drew large crowds, something most of these players have never seen before, and the live streaming of the matches also added a whole new virtual audience, not to mention commentary to make it that much more official! The large crowds defiantly pushed these athletes to play their hardest and none of the nine games played were disappointments. The final scores for the 9 matches were:

Iona 19 Vs. Boston College 29

Texas State 7 Vs. North Carolina state 63

Western Michigan University 10 Vs. Life Eagles (Bside) 42

AIC 46 Vs. Bowling Green University 40

University of Michigan 17 Vs. Kutztown 43

Stony Brook 21 Vs. West Virginia University 20

University of North Texas 0 Vs. Umass 46

Life University (Aside) 53 Vs. Army 19

Clemson University 40 Vs. University of South Carolina

Check out this highlight video from what many considered the most entertaining game of the entire series Bowling Green Vs. AIC!

With the ACRC Bowl series over with some teams walked away with victors, some walked away losers, but everyone walked away as friends. The Rugby Athletic Center made for a beautiful venue and the entire event was full of ooo’s, ahh’s, and laughs as players, coaches, parents, and spectators alike all bonded over a love for the game. It was great to see players all from different teams and walks of life socializing after their games, forming new friendships, and even meeting up with some old ones. To check out more about the series check out the ACRC Bowl series website and Goff Rugby report for more information on the series. Did you go to any of the game or watch them on the livestream? If so leave a comment telling us who your favorite match was!

ACRC Bowl Series

Next weekend 16 top level collegiate teams from all over the country will match up face to face in Charlotte, North Carolina. The teams will have the luxury to play in the brand new charlotte rugby athletic center, a beautiful new addition to the rugby scene. Forged from the remnants of an old indoor driving range this field is complete with stadium seating, restaurant, locker rooms, and facilities. This amazing facility gives these talented athletes a chance to compete at what feels like the next level, complete with audience to watch the entire thing.

Kutztown Mens Rugby 

Some of the top level teams on the roster are teams like AIC, Army, Bowling Green, Life, Boston College, and Kutztown. All of these teams are fast, big, and mobile; making the forthcoming games that much more anticipated. The ACRC Bowl series will allow for these teams, who do not normally play each other, a chance to compete for both hardware as well as rankings and glory.

Life Mens Rugby 

Remember to follow us on Twitter, Pinterest, and on here for more news! Also for more information on the ACRC Bowl series check out ACRC Bowl Series, or for a better look at the venue check out Rugby Athletic Center

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Whats in a number?!

Every rugby player and fan alike has had it happen at least once, the concerned "what did you just say??" look after you tell a story about how someone smacked your hooker. Contrary to popular belief, hooker is a position on the field, so while normal people think were talking about a side business we are running, we are really just talking about our good buddy getting tackled. I don't know what it is about rugby players but we like weird names, If you don't believe me look back at our Rugby lingo for the common man post. While rugby positions quickly become common knowledge for players and fans, we here at rugby addicts understand that some of those just getting into the sport may have no idea whats going on down on that pitch, so here it is, a complete guide and break down of each position on a rugby team. Also don't worry if you can't remember the names of the positions, in rugby the number on the players back relates to their position on the field, so if you want to talk about a player and not sound silly, you can just say their number!

1. Lose-Head Prop- The smaller of the two props, normally slower then most of his teammates his job is to support the weight of the scrum, because of this the less neck the better!
2. Hooker- A shorter, stubbier player who's job is to win the ball in the scrum and throw the ball in line outs. Does not work on the corner.... unless the club needs fundraising.
3. Tight-Head Prop- The player on the squad who's three favorite things in the world are pizza, beer, and, cold pizza. This guy is always the biggest on the field, he has to be able to scrum 1v2 for a full match. 
4. Second Row- The tallest on the pitch, they are the driving force in the scrums, and jumpers in the line out. The second rows are stereotypically kind of weird, this is due to them spending a lot of time with their heads in between the props and hookers butts. Yes, I am serious.
5. Second Row- See number 4.
6. Blind-Side Flanker- The bigger and stronger of the two flanks, needs to be a great tackler, and support player. His job is to make sure nothing goes through the blind side of the scrum.
7. Open-Side Flanker- The faster of the two flanks, needs to be a every breakdown, trying to steal the opponents ball. The ball should always be on a flankers mind, he needs to spoil the opponents play, and basically be a nuisance for 80 minutes. His main objective is to absolutley destroy the fly half.
8. Number 8- A dude so awesome he doesn't even have a name. Needs to be big like a foreword, fast like a back, and just and overall awesome player.                                                                                                                                         
9. Scrum-Half- Leader of the forewords, technically he's a back, but he spends so much time with them the foreword pack normally adopts him. Needs to be fast, agile, smart, be able to box kick and have a great pass.
10. Fly-Half- The play maker. All plays in the back line go through him. Think of him like a quarter back. Fly half's normally gets targeted and possibly smashed by the open side flanker, because of this they need to be able to move the ball quick. Should be able to kick.
11. Left Wing- Wings are the fastest players on the pitch, the side they are on all depends on which side they are most comfortable playing on. Should be elusive, hard to tackle, and just crazy fast. Speed kills.
12. Inside Centre- The centre closest to the fly-half, needs to be a good ball handler, passer, and runner. Should be fast and have some endurance, and be able to make tackles 
13. Outside Centre- The centre farthest from the fly-half also needs to be a good ball handler, passer, and runner. Should be fast and have some endurance, and be able to make tackles. 
14. Right Wing- Wings are the fastest players on the pitch, the side they are on all depends on which side they are most comfortable playing on. Should be elusive, hard to tackle, and just crazy fast. Speed kills.
15. Fullback- The most tactile player on the field, he stays back and reads the field often. Must be a great tackler and be speedy to clean up any line breaks. The full back must be able to kick, normally the fullback kicks restarts, conversions, and just kicks the ball because he feels like making his forewords run.

Well there you have it, all 15 positions broken down and explained. For more rugby make sure to checkout awesome sites like Rugby Dump Usa Rugby and for awesome gear visit World Rugby Shop !

Leave a comment on what position you play, or love to watch and If you liked this post don't forget to follow and share us with your friends!

New Zealand All Blacks Vs. USA Eagles Recap.

Nov. 1st now marks a historic day for rugby in the united states. The New Zealand All Blacks and the USA Eagles battled it out at Solider Field in Chicago, ending in a 74-6 win for the All Blacks, but the score is the last thing on our minds here at Rugby Addicts. This game means much more then the score, with a sellout of 61,500 tickets and a roaring crowd with fans from around the country, this game shows the potential success that is rugby in the United States.

Fans young and old all showed up to Solider Field for a great day of rugby. Selling out an NFL stadium is no easy task after all, clearly there is a huge loyal fan base for the game in the US which we love to see. The atmosphere of the event was just how it should be; fans, players, and a community all coming together to celebrate a love for the sport. It didn't matter if you were a fan of the Eagles or of the All Blacks, all that mattered was that you had a beer (or soda) in your hand, and you were screaming and cheering for your favorite side.

We are so proud of our team and our country, the loss means little to Eagles fans, to be honest we almost expected it, but that doesn't matter to us. What matters is that we had a chance to go to a live test match! Football fans get to go to games every weekend, and watch games on 5 different T.V. channels, as a rugby fan you have to buy a certain cable or satellite TV package, search YouTube, or wait until something is aired at some ungodly hour on a channel you already have, just to see an old game! This match allowed us to come together as community and enjoy something we love with people who share that same love, and that, in our opinion, is just awesome.


 And for those who missed the match, here is a link to a YouTube video with all 80 minutes of the match!