Winter Rugby Time!
Image: Snow in Wisconsin on the left and the most snow Cardiff usually gets on the right
As you likely know, the winter weather in Wisconsin is far too harsh to keep the rugby season going in the winter. For better or worse, the UK has a milder climate and rugby is a winter sport that runs roughly from September to April. This might seem like a somewhat minor difference but it actually changes a lot about how rugby is played and the traditions that surround it. Let’s talk about that.
The most interesting thing to me are the Christmas traditions surrounding rugby clubs. Most rugby clubs in the UK will host holiday parties and many will play a match on boxing day (the day after Christmas). Boxing day matches are usually friendlies of some sort. I have one friend who’s club hosts a boxing day match that allows former players- like older retired players or students returning from "uni"- to play against current players. I personally find these traditions very charming and think they are a nice way to celebrate the holidays and make a real community out of rugby. Although, as a uni student who goes home for Christmas I’ve mostly only heard of these traditions second hand from friends and clubs I’ve visited as a referee.
That’s not to say we don’t have our own versions of holiday traditions in uni rugby. Annually we have a Christmas dinner at our student union pub. Christmas dinner in the UK is a lot like a Thanksgiving dinner with roasted ham, chicken or turkey, vegetables, potatoes, stuffing and gravy. It is by far the most wholesome rugby social event of the year. We sit down, many in silly Christmas sweaters, pop Christmas crackers, wear the paper crowns and read the jokes inside. Some years we’re able to get dressed up and have a Christmas ball as well!
From a rugby standpoint, we get to watch/play the Cardiff Clash- a match against our local rival Cardiff Met that happens twice a year at the beginning and end of first term. The exciting thing about the Cardiff Clash is that it is played in Cardiff Arms Park. Cardiff Arms Park is the home stadium of the Cardiff Rugby rugby team. The venue also hosts many of the women’s Six Nations matches. It is incredible to go from watching games played at this stadium on TV to playing and training there.
This has also been the first year where the Cardiff Clash has been a double header for both the men’s and women’s teams as our first XV just got promoted to the top league in UK uni rugby -the Women’s National League. Our other rugby tradition is a last training session filled with fun rugby-related games, Christmas attire, and mince pies after practice. This is my personal favorite tradition. In the thick of exam season and the midpoint of rugby season it’s nice to have a fun run-around with good friends.
Cardiff Clash December 2023
Of course, there is also a less fun side to a winter rugby season. The UK rugby season is long and temperatures stick around the freezing mark for a fair chunk of it. While us Wisconsin ruggers are certainly familiar with cold matches and practices at the end of fall or beginning of spring season, consistently motivating oneself to train in the cold can get quite difficult. Particularly in the heart of exam seasons when you desperately need a break and don’t really get much of one.
However, if you can find the motivation, winter rugby is a great way to get some exercise, socialize and fight off the urge to hibernate all winter. As hard as it can be, winter rugby is truly amazing for your mental health. If you have a favorite winter sport you play in the states then maybe you don’t need it, but if you’re like me and rugby is your favorite and only sport, the UK might be for you- especially if you prefer 15s to 7s. Since 15s takes up most of the year 7s is more of a fun after thought for the summer rather than a competitive season (for most people).
Hope everyone enjoyed their holiday season with or without rugby and wishing you luck surviving the rest of winter!
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