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By
Jessica Gerlach
Harlaxton College Web Design Student
Thursday, February 28, 2008
This past weekend was the 10th anniversary of the 6 Nations Rugby Championship. The six nations -- England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, France and Italy -- competed in three games on Saturday, Feb. 23. The games consisted of Wales vs. Italy at 2 p.m., Ireland vs. Scotland at 4 p.m. and finally, England vs. France at 8.
Many of the Harlaxton students were able to watch the games in pubs while on a school trip to the city of Bath. For them, the experience was more then just a sporting event, but rather, a part of the English culture.
“Bath is a big rugby town,” said Professor David Green, a Harlaxton faculty member and avid rugby fan. “There is often a feeling that England is the team that everyone wants to beat.” He said that this demonstrates the turmoil in the British Isles' history.
Green said that for the students who were able to watch the games with local people “You get a very clear sense of the individual countries’ national identity ... a bit of history.”
Rugby not only shows the distinctivness of each of the countries involved, but it can be a binding force as well. “(Rugby) is a potential leveling … the way it can bring communities together,” Green said.
He watched the England vs. France game at Harlaxton Manor. He added that while growing up, the 6 Nations Tournament was always the highlight of the winter season. “It was the one thing that made January through March worth living for,” he said with a chuckle.
While watching the games in Bath, the students found themselves transformed into true English rugby fans.
Matthew Schueller, a sophomore at the University of Evansville, watched the England vs. France game at The Boater, a local pub in Bath. He was joined by seven of his friends, all Harlaxton students. “It was a cool opportunity to be in a pub with lots of avid sports fans,” Schueller said.
When the England and France match began at 8 p.m., Schueller said that the pub was crowded, with the noise and excitement level very high. “It was really cool hearing the different national anthems (at the opening of the match)," he said. "It’s fun to see if the people on the teams know their national anthem.”
The England vs. France rugby game was a close match. “At first it appeared that England was the underdog,” Schueller said. After two intense 40-minute halves, England emerged the victor, 24 to 13.
“It (the rugby game) was something that seemed to embody the culture,” Schueller said. He said that watching the game was better then going to a bar or club with friends. “It was a great opportunity to see the community come together over a cultural icon.”
Matthew Andrzejewski, dean of students at Harlaxton College, agreed that it’s a great time to be in England when the 6 Nations tournament is going on. “Being anywhere watching with the locals is just a great experience," Andrzejewski said. "It’s part of the culture.”
“The 6 Nations is huge," he said. "England, France, Wales, Ireland and Italy -- they’re all big rivals. It’s a modern-day battle to see who will win.”
Andrzejewski is an avid rugby fan himself, having played for four years at the University of Southern Indiana, as well as a year after college, he said. “It’s a very addictive sport.”
Andrzejewski was also in Bath, chaperoning the school trip. He watched the games in a local pub. At one point he said that he jumped up and cheered at the television. “I got a lot of looks,” Andrzejewski said. “Now I know a lot of people don’t scream at the TV like we do in America.”
Arrena Svoboda, a sophomore at the University of Evansville, experienced the England/France game at a local pub as well. She and three of her girlfriends went to The Rat and the Parrot. Svoboda said that the pub had a fun atmosphere and most of the people in the pub ranged from about 20 to mid 30s.
“Nobody got into the game until about the last five minutes," she said. "Then people were clapping and cheering.”
Marissa Mitchell watched the game from her hotel room in Bath with several other students. Mitchell, a University of Evansville sophomore, said, “It was really exciting. I’m not a big sports fan normally, but it was really neat to see the similarities and differences to American sports.”
The American students found themselves bonding with the England team, despite having limited prior knowledge of the team or the sport. “It was interesting how quickly I felt connected to the English team and really wanted them to win," Mitchell said. "I felt like a real fan!”
“You talk to the people, you learn the history, but this is part of every type of person in Britain," Mitchell said. "It’s kind of fun to see a different aspect to the country.”
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At The Rat and the Parrot, a pub in Bath, Morgan Stankey, Emily Hays and Katelyn Sandy enjoy drinks while watching the England vs. France rugby game.
Linsdey VanDoornik, Dave McCarthy and Natalia Potruski show their support for England rugby with their new shirts.