A Man's Guide to the Rugby Experience
Aka: Four Ways to enjoy the Absa Currie Cup & the RWC without wrecking your relationship
We all believe that everyone is unique and different, however for the most part, it is safe to say that men love their sports and South Africans are mad about their rugby.
We play, talk and follow rugby with dedicated fervour and now that there is exhilarating provincial rugby that is jam-packed ahead of us – as well as the heated Rugby World Cup – many a night is in jeopardy of being spent alone, sleeping on the couch, because of a rugby-related row.
Here are a few tips to try balance your love of the game with the love of your life. A simple strategy to get you out of those unnecessary rocking of the proverbial boat situations…
- 1. Start and maintain a sports schedule or routine
Sports should never be used as an escape from your life, but rather as an exciting, emotionally charged rollercoaster for you to share with good companionship.
Instead of spending your weekends being a couch potato, lazing away at home while watching all the games, draw up a timetable of all the upcoming important Absa Currie Cup games that are left plus the RWC games you HAVE TO watch, and schedule a time of day to catch up on the latest news and analysis or update your fantasy picks. This way your lady will know that she can spend quality with her girlfriends or trawl the shops for those perfect shoes as well as time with you before and after the game without feeling neglected because of all the action.
- 2. Tell her about upcoming games you plan to watch – in time!
Obviously a routine doesn’t always suffice in an exciting, dramatic and unpredictable tournament such as the Absa Currie Cup, where semi-final contenders aren’t decided until the final second of the regular season.
And let’s face it – if your team’s fate hangs in the balance of another game’s outcome – it’s simply not acceptable to PVR the game and watch it at later stage and then possibly find out the score from a friend.
Therefore inform your partner of important games that you’d like to watch as the season escalates – this way you can involve her in all the extravagant trials and tribulations of the ACC. As long as you don’t overdo it and have to watch “important games” or highlights of a game you’ve already watched all the time (even though you might want to) your companion should understand.
- 3. Get yourself a pink slip – the one that gets you to the game.
If you’d like to attend a game with friends or join a fantasy league, do it smartly – ask permission! Yes, I know, you’re a grown man and you shouldn’t have to ask permission to do what you want. But treading lightly with a compensation plan in place for her could make all the difference in the world. The action-packed nature of the Absa Currie Cup will inevitably invite you out to attend games on a boys-time out or be asked to join the office fantasy league.
Also, if you think of it this way, these activities eat into the time she spends with you and on the flip side you wouldn’t like it if she spent extended time away from home pursuing a new hobby. So, if you’ve been invited to a game and she can’t come along, run the idea past her first and ask her if she minds you attending the match with your mates.
- 4. Get her involved in Your Rugby Addiction
This is probably the most important point of all. The Absa Currie Cup is all about the fans and your first priority must be to take her along to the stadium. Get her in the gear and explain to her why you support the team that you do.
If the games are close to home – make an effort to attend them together or in a group of friends, and if you can only catch the match on TV – make sure that you inform your “other half” of the significance of the game well in advance to amp her up for the clash.
By creating a positive, inclusive and fun atmosphere around attending and watching matches – just like all the Absa Currie Cup derbies actually are – pretty soon, you’ll find your partner will be the one insisting that you attend the next home game or travel with the team for the semi-final weekend!
Take time out with the Absa Currie Cup as it rolls to a spectacular finish at the end of October. Shoot a winning Biggest Fan video and win large with R100,000 at www.absacurriecup.co.za or alternatively click a crazy pic and win R20,000. Come one guys, be your team’s biggest fan and make it through the rugby fest with your lady by your side!
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