Is there a way in?

Jigsaw

I'd love to start playing rugby again. The thing is I'm scared because the last team I played for in Manxchster made me feel like a twat. I want to give my all to a club but I am no Brian o'Driscoll. I just want to get half decent but am scared because I am scared of clubs having elitist members who would make me feel like a twat. I just want tio to train hard and in the future who knows what might happen, but I would need to start from near the bottom as I ahve not played competitively since 2005.

theKramer

Join a J4 club.

J4 level clubs are always looking for new members and dont mind if you dont know anything. All the big clubs have a J4 team.

I am in the same boat as you. I just started playing rugby as well this season, although I did play in a tag-rugby league during the summer which has really helped me hit the ground running.

Anyway, I have just joined the St Marys J4 team and havent noticed any of that elitist behaviour. I think you will only get that if you try the higher levels, AIL, J1, J2, J3.

Here is a list of rugby clubs: http://www.irishrugby.ie/23_78.php
Just select the province that you are living in.

I am living in Dublin so I slected Leinster: http://www.irishrugby.ie/23_8924.php

Hope that helps. Dont be put off by one bad experience.

Good luck.

dirmius

I'm constantly debating whether or not to take up rugby. I absolutely love it but I'm afraid that at 32 I may be too old for all the tackling! I'm not afraid of the hits (in fact I was a forward and used to enjoy the physical game), it's the injuries and recovery time I worry about.

I also played a bit of tag last summer and mild strains were taking weeks to recover (I'm still carrying a knee ligament strain from then).

I used to play rugby at quite a high level in school, but I didn't keep it up and so now I haven't played proper rugby in over 15 years.

So do you think I can handle the tackles or what? IS J4/3 very physical or no?

connundrum

dirmius wrote:

So do you think I can handle the tackles or what? IS J4/3 very physical or no?

It can be when someone else who hasn't played for 15 years doesn't know how to tackle properly. That'd be all I'd worry about i.e. someone who's been on the beer all night, shows up for an 11am match, clearly is in no shape to take the pitch but does so anyway, creams you with a late tackle because they're 10 yards off the pace

Jigsaw

What is all this J3 and J4? Sorry for being a bit slow with all of this but I just don't know the terminology.

I feel that I have a good game of rugby in me. I would need to work on my fitness a bit but I can do that under my own steam. Like I said, I played 2004-2005 season in Manchester and have a fair idea of what is needed.

What worries me is that in the past I always played centre. I have since, ahem, filled out a bit and am concerned that if I joined a team that I would be asked to be in the forwards, which I have no problem with but there are specialised skills there that I have never practised. I mean, I've never stood at a line out or threw in or took part in a scrum.

I have always thought that I'd be a pretty good crash centre. I am roughly 15st and am about 5ft 9inches and am fairly strong. I wouldn't be the fastest in the world though. I was thinking of this team in Belfast for any of those amongst you that might know something about them,

www.malone-rfc.com

I'd say I'm pretty crap at the moment but I'd like to join a club where I could start low but have no limits to my progress. I know I'll not get very far given my age but I want my personal ability to be my only limit.

Any advice gratefully received.

daveirl

This post has been deleted.

dirmius

Good point earlier re the late tackles thanks.

With regard to backs versus forwards this is an issue for me too. I used to be a forward because at school I was quite big and strong. Thing is I have not grown since then! So while 5'10" was big in school, these days I am actually quite short.

I can run fast though and found out from tag that I can still out-sprint a lot of folk. I used to be a pretty good tackler also. Problem is I can't trust my handling over distance (long passes etc.) and I can't kick very well at all.

So in a nutshell my skills are that of a forward (except the sprinting) but now I'm the size & strength of a back. Dunno where I'd go to be honest.