The Oval Ball Game

[teamsaint]

Well done Wales. It’s always good to see them succeeding at the sport that means so much to so many of them.

Sounds like a stonking game at Twickers today. Almost JCs day, but no doubt the Scots can take a lot of prsitives from the second half.

[johncorrigan]

Well done Wales. It’s always good to see them succeeding at the sport that means so much to so many of them.

Sounds like a stonking game at Twickers today. Almost JCs day, but no doubt the Scots can take a lot of prsitives from the second half.

sainty, at 31-0 down I would never in my life have thought I'd be mildly disappointed by a 38-each draw, but perhaps that was ok in the end. Some amazing tries in there.

[Bryn]

Sorry to be picky but this the Radio 3 Forum. Can we please replace "Oval" in the thread title with "Ovoid" or perhaps "Carbon 70 Fullerene shaped"?

[LMcD]

Sorry to be picky but this the Radio 3 Forum. Can we please replace "Oval" in the thread title with "Ovoid" or perhaps "Carbon 70 Fullerene shaped"?

Sorry to be even pickier, but should 'The Oval Ball Game' not be held in reserve as a possible thread title for supporters of Surrey County Cricket Club?

[Bryn]

Sorry to be even pickier, but should 'The Oval Ball Game' not be held in reserve as a possible thread title for supporters of Surrey County Cricket Club?

[gurnemanz]

Sorry to be picky but this the Radio 3 Forum. Can we please replace "Oval" in the thread title with "Ovoid" or perhaps "Carbon 70 Fullerene shaped"?

Using "ovate" might ovoid the problem.

Sorry to be picky but does your first sentence contain any coherent syntactic structure?

[Leinster Lass]

The non-spherical ball game

As a keen follower of Rugby Union, I've noticed that, while the top games over here are played by regional teams, many of the top English sides are located in smaller towns and cities which, in many cases, have a less than successful soccer team. For some reason, the game also seems to be particularly popular in the West and South West of England. I'm thinking of, for example, Bristol, Exeter, Bath, Worcester and Gloucester in the latter case. As far as I'm aware, Northampton and Sale, on the other hand, have never boasted a really successful soccer team, and there don't seem to be many top teams based in the larger English centres of population.
(It would be tactless of me to mention the success of Irish teams in European club competitions, or the current standings in the Pro 14 tables, so I won't - well, not that often!)

[Serial_Apologist]

Union is the game of Toffs - survival of the shittest: preparation therefor.

Having been compulsorily subjected to it at boarding school in the 1950s/60s (another subject) some of us, especially those like me with re-arranged noses, renamed it thugby.

That "explanation" just about sums it all up for me.

[Leinster Lass]

Union is the game of Toffs - survival of the shittest: preparation therefor.

Having been compulsorily subjected to it at boarding school in the 1950s/60s (another subject) some of us, especially those like me with re-arranged noses, renamed it thugby.

That "explanation" just about sums it all up for me.

Are you suggesting that, as often seems to be the case in England, it all comes down to class? Are there a lot of toffs in the bottom left-hand corner of the country?

[teamsaint]

Are you suggesting that, as often seems to be the case in England, it all comes down to class? Are there a lot of toffs in the bottom left-hand corner of the country?

Plenty in the bottom left hand corner of London......

[Serial_Apologist]

Are you suggesting that, as often seems to be the case in England, it all comes down to class? Are there a lot of toffs in the bottom left-hand corner of the country?

Yes would be my answer to the first, I don't know to the second. The idea that toughening up played an indispensable part in developing manhood was more widespread than regionality could account for, and was certainly prominent in certain middle class quarters: rugby was definitely factored in when considering the kind of education that was expected to produce someone worthy of certain kinds of family respectability. Parallels with boxing in the working class to this day, I would think. Maybe someone more conversant with population demographics can further elucidate.

[Leinster Lass]

Yes would be my answer to the first, I don't know to the second. The idea that toughening up played an indispensable part in developing manhood was more widespread than regionality could account for, and was certainly prominent in certain middle class quarters: rugby was definitely factored in when considering the kind of education that was expected to produce someone worthy of certain kinds of family respectability. Parallels with boxing in the working class to this day, I would think. Maybe someone more conversant with population demographics can further elucidate.

I'm not sure what it proves, but 6 of the 12 teams in the English Premiership are based in cathedral cities, and a 7th plays its home games very close to an abbey.

[french frank]

Plenty in the bottom left hand corner of London......

(not apparently in the bottom right, though …)

My father played rugby, and indeed played for the Bristol club. In fact he was fanatical about (playing) sport and remained attached to Bristol RFC for decades. But even he came to feel that rugby was no longer a game for 'sportsmen'. His experience, as with tennis, was in the days when the professional (League) and amateur games were completely separate - and the amateurs were the ones who reigned supreme (at least in the south).

The geographical point is interesting - note also the strong rugby tradition in the south of France - Pau, Toulouse, Montpellier etc.

[gurnemanz]

The Welsh valleys were a breeding ground for middle-class coal miners who needed a bit of rugby to toughen them up. I started an oval ball thread several years ago which flickered and died. Good luck with this one.

[french frank]

The Welsh valleys were a breeding ground for middle-class coal miners who needed a bit of rugby to toughen them up. I started an oval ball thread several years ago which flickered and died. Good luck with this one.

Yes, whoever thought that classical music was for elitist snobs?