Worcester V London Irish PowerGen Cup

Extreme Sport!

Skiing down a glacier, canyoning along white water rapids, free style climbing: these are extreme sports, but surely not rugby at Sixways.  In this case, perhaps, “extremities” would be more accurate then “extreme”.  I refer, of course, to hands, feet and heads – those bits that get frostbitten after 80 minutes on the touchline in January.

Worcester, as some will know, was once famous for its glove-making.  Dents’ and Fownes’ products ensured toasty digits across the globe.  Their fame lingers on in the nickname of St Andrew’s spire and a Warndon pub sign: “The Glover’s Needle” as well as in a city centre hotel.  Nowadays, you will not find Worcester-made gloves anywhere but, if you suffer from chilly fingers, you would benefit from a trip to the Sixways shop. Jane stocks fleece gloves lined with Thinsulate which are a very effective barrier against the breeze which sweeps across the ground in the winter months.

As far as feet are concerned, you need look no further than the clubhouse.  When you visit other rugby clubs, you will find many types of memorabilia: photographs of past triumphs; trophy cabinets full of silverware; shields presented by visiting opponents; signed shirts from International players.  All these are to be seen around Sixways, but I wonder how many clubs display rows of socks!  Worcester does.  If you visit the International Bar you will see them above your head: a neat, multi-coloured row of rugby club socks.  Perhaps someone can enlighten us about the origin of such an unusual feature.

Finally, there is the remaining extremity: heads.  Hats, or rather headgear, were spectacularly in evidence at Saturday’s match against London Irish.  Warriors supporters have a nice line in hats: baseball caps in several designs; a range of beanies; fleece star shapes; a blue and gold “topper” with bells on; Viking helmets.  On Saturday, these were augmented and eclipsed by the Irish:  fluorescent green wigs both curly and plaited; outsize top hats festooned with tinsel and leprechauns; a yellow crocheted creation reinforced with Guinness cans and finished off with one of the “little people”.  Even the “goons” sported Santa hats (though without the “Ho, Ho”!)

Unfortunately for the Warriors, however, one hat was missing.  When I saw Martyn at half-time, he was not wearing his LUCKY HAT.

The game at times seemed more like the Mad Hatter’s Tea-party, with the referee taking the part of the dormouse.  Even the most ardent supporter would not describe it as a memorable occasion.  Not that the crowd seemed down-hearted.  Despite the comparatively sparse attendance, the noise level was encouraging. (Does this show that it is the “hardcore” supporters who do the shouting?)  London Irish fans could sometimes be heard from the North Terrace.  Chants of “Bar-ry, Barry Everitt, tra-la-la-la-laaa-la-la” greeted his arrival on the field to replace Mapletoft and snatches of “Molly Malone” punctuated the final quarter.  Play had livened up a bit by then.  The first half had given rise to comments such as, “I’d have had more excitement in Debenham’s” and “The ref must have heard that people give cards at Christmas”.

What ever their feelings about the match, there was plenty of bonhomie amongst both sets of supporters off the pitch.  After the game, the Sixways Suite was packed with fans wanting to chat, imbibe and listen to the live Worcester-Irish band (how much better than canned music).

But spare a thought for the team.  While the supporters were enjoying themselves, our players really were going to extremes – immersing their battered torsos (so we’re told) in jacuzzis full of iced water!  (Who spoke of skiing down glaciers?)

Perhaps it is in bath time that Rugby does, after all, deserve the title of “Extreme Sport”.  In this week’s Rugby Times, the featured ground belongs to Dings Crusaders in Bristol.  the writer of the piece observes that the communal baths, banned by Health and Safety regulations, have been replaced by communal showers.  Any promotion, however, would necessitate personal showers being installed.

This minor detail produced a burst of nostalgia from my “other half”.  He recalled the muddy sludge of the communal bath at the outpost of Moseley’s third team ground – on a day of horizontal driving hail when an unfortunate winger had to be led from the field suffering from an uncontrollable shivering fit.  Scarcely better was the tepid water at Alcester which dribbled fitfully from holes in the copper pipe running overhead.  In these days of professionalism, things are so much better, they say.  Plumbing is superior, privacy is ensured – and the latest, most scientific thinking, is to bath tired bodies in tubs of unheated water!

Let’s hope that the cold baths generate the heat needed for a return to our winning ways.  At the half way point of the year, the Warriors have confounded all the pundits and staked a strong claim to remain in the Premiership.  AK said, in September, that respect had to be earned.  Worcester has already done that.  We, the supporters, must now do everything we can to help our team fulfil their considerable potential.  We must make rugby our EXTREME SPORT!

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to one and all!