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This weekend in Sudagaria I became a rugby player. I have been going to practice and playing in a small amount of games for the Tokyo Gajin Rugby Football team, since March or so but this weekend I finally became a rugby player. The funny thing about Rugby is it looks like American football and has some of the same elements but it is really more like basketball or soccer. Every man on the field is expected to pick up the ball and run, kick, pass, or tackle other players from the opposition, no matter what their position. I think this is a key fundamental that I did not realize till our first match on Saturday. Usually there are a number of talented people who come out to play for the team on Sundays but Saturdays are different. Some have to work and others the trip was too far or too much. So when we stepped on the field Saturday there was 11 of us for a 10s tournament which meant if more than one person got hurt we were screwed. As the first match got underway, we could see we had our work cut out for us. They were well drilled and fit and we were short some of our best players. In the first half of the game I earned my goat by stepping over the ball, as I had seen our captain do many times and look for where to pass it. The difference being 1. that was 15s and 2. he did not pick it up from the ruck till he was ready to throw it. I picked it up immediately looked right, and left and then threw it off to some on my right just in time to get nailed. Now I know how to do it right, and I probably wont do it again because at the end of the 1/2 Bully came up to me directly and said these infinite words of wisdom "If you get the ball put your head down and run!" Huh?? I thought that backs were only supposed to run the ball..... guess not. The start of the next half saw the ball being kicked right into my arms and I did just that RAN. I ran right at 2 guys spun away from one and then just kept running with the other holding on for another few feet till I was able to off load the ball to some one near me. BRILLIANT! I thought I will try that again, and did through the next 2 games I maybe had 3 or 4 more runs some good and some bad. I was actually a part of the team allot more than I had ever thought I would be. About 2 minutes left in the first game I hit a guy carrying the ball and we fell to the ground. He managed to pass the ball to some one standing right over us on his team who was immediately leveled by another player on my team. As the guy came down his elbow cracked me right below my right eye. Yep that's gonna leave a mark. Doesn't hurt but sure looks gross! The match ended and I walked back pissed at the fact we lost. Mauro set me straight and we regrouped went out to play our next 2 matches. Honestly they were a blur. I can remember in the second we were down by some amazing amount of tries, maybe 5 and came back to win the game. I was stoked about that. We all were. It raised the bar. We did not give up even in the face of what surely looked like it was about to be a crushing defeat. Everyone was plenty banged up but on fire at the same time making big hits and doing what it took to pound down the opposition. Our third and final game of the tournament we played the green team (Anyone remember their name?) immediately after our previous match. We all hobbled over to the other field and I got some more advice from the guys on the way. My right calf was pretty bound up by now and I was having trouble walking again, but there was no one else to play so I did every thing I could. The only thing I really remember from the last game besides loosing was missing one key tackle on a guy who out weighed my by probably 20 kilos. When I missed the tackle I thought I should be able to catch him..... no way he was FAST! The end of the day saw us with 2 losses and 1 win. As I walked back to my stuff I thought I was going to cry from the pain in my leg and my general inability to move. I really did leave it all on the field, but I also had this calming feeling of pride and accomplishment. After the 10's game with the 10's team and helpers! I later explained to my team mates my real reason for playing rugby is: "While my body feels dead, my heart and soul feel more alive then they have in 10 years." That is why I play. I know I will never be the greatest player on the team, but I can feel that I am improving and I think my team mates can sense it as well. After the match they all talked to me differently, with respect for what we had just been through, it was a excellent feeling. There was a 15's match the next day that I was not eager to participate in due to my physical condition but I played cause we all ready had to barrow players from other teams in order to have enough for a team. I couldn't let everyone down. We lost and it was a good fair loss. Some of us had been up drinking all night, and the rest of us were pretty beat up from the day before. The thing I remember the most about the Sunday game was the Ref. Usually we have terrible luck with referees, calls more often then not go against us whether they should or not. Joe our Captain[1]/Coach always encourages us to not talk back to the ref and to address our complaints through him. For once there was not a real break down of discipline and we did that, and for once the calls were not AS BAD for us as usual. 1/2 the time I do not know what the heck they are talking about but after the match the consensus seemed to be that the ref did a good job. After the match in a stunning gesture the winning team gave us 2 cases of beer. Real beer, that is more then 100 dollars in Japan. Unbelievable. Later on the ride home in Murray's car I sipped that beer and it tasted like Champagne. After the 15's game with the oposition and BEER! With the end of the match we went back to the hotel to shower up and head out to the onsen.I spent most of the time at the onsen telling Eric to be quite but I still enjoyed the relaxing feeling of the sauna and I credit with my ability to move Monday. As we sat waiting for the rest of the team Mauro looked over at me and said "Erin you look like a rugby player now." I am sure he meant because I looked physically exhausted and my right eye was completely black. But what was really important is that I felt like a real rugby player. Thanks Guys! Special thanks to Murray and Family for letting me and Eric ride around with you. Thanks to Bully for setting the whole thing up. Mizue, Sao and Bully's daughter, and all the ladies who helped keep Eric out of trouble while I was on the field. Eric for being a GREAT KID the whole time. Finally thanks Mauro for getting me on the team and thanks to every one who has been patient with me the whole time while I am figuring out what the heck I am supposed to be doing. [1] Al our Captian is injured at the time so on feild Joe has been pulling double duty. Thanks to Toru for the 2 group shots.