Rugby

The World Cup Rugby in Japan is just around the corner. A host town, nearby my house, is getting busy. Although I wrote this, I don't know rugby very much. More over I didn't like the cramped and discontinuous play style. For me, it looks like ground work of Judo. However there is a thing which attracted me to rugby. It's Samoan people's passion on the sport.

I mentioned here before. Once boys come together, they start playing cricket in India or Bangladesh. I was really surprised on the picture. Because we preferred baseball in my childhood here in Japan. I didn't even know existence of the sport. Of course, soccer was popular in most countries which I have ever visited.
Then I again realized diversity of sport culture when I saw Samoan people preferred another sport. Yes, it's rugby.

Evening sea breeze cool down tropical air in a park. People, not only men but also women, get start playing rugby football. Meanwhile on the seaside, people enjoy beach rugby. Dozens of spectators stick on the fence of college yard for watching the training match. A primary school student is coming back with his well-used rugby ball. Samoan kids may say wanna be pro rugby player instead of the soccer. I believe being professional, in NZ or Ireland for example, is a honor of the home town. Because I saw a big sign board with player's photo on the road side of small village. It's said the glorious player was from the village.

When we talk about national rugby teams, NZ's All blacks must comes first. I saw many black joke graffiti about the All Blacks in Samoa, and it made me fun.
I guess, rugby has more firmed hierarchy in the world ranking than the football. Apparently the All Blacks can be top of the hierarchy and cannot be easily beaten. Nevertheless Samoan people always poking with ironical jokes. I love the sense of humor.
But on the other side I feel a kind of Samoan's respect to the All Blacks. For instance, Haka (War Cry) that the All Blacks perform before every match is from Maori's (original inhabitant of NZ) tradition. Actually Samoa has a same tradition of Haka. Polynesian spirit still alive in the western sport. Samoan who has same root must feel sympathy to them.

By the way, I wrote 'Firmed Hierarchy' just before. In the hierarchy, Japan beat a higher rank team not by joke but actual rugby game. In the 2015 world cup in England, Japan had come from behind win in the game against South Africa with dramatic try. Whenever I talked to Samoan people, they mentioned the game. Honestly I was surprised. Because they memories the match very well nevertheless the story wasn't about the Samoa. But upset is upset. After all, Japan couldn't reach to the top 8. As long as it called upset, they never step up to a hire rank in the world rugby hierarchy. Oh, I should shut up and sit in front of TV as one beginner fan.

How's it going to be the World Cup Japan? Coincidentally Samoa and Japan are in the same pool. If possible I wanna see they made a history.