I didn't think that I would play rugby again, at least not regularly and competitively. My body isn't where it used to be. I've eaten my way into a different weight class, I'm not fit or limber, and that treasonous body is breaking down in the knees.
I went to the Causeway Bay practice to see SB, or so I told myself. I was impressed with the women's practice and filled with just a bit of longing but I remained firm that those days were safely behind me. I had taken up windsurfing anyway, and was enjoying it immensely.
At the end of the practice something very minor happened. One of the players missed a pass and the ball rolled over to me. Instinctively I put out my foot to stop the ball. I am not exaggerating when I say that I felt a jolt go through me from the tip of my foot resting on the ball, up my leg. It's like when people say that in sudden dangerous moments their lives pass before their eyes except in my case the jolt brought the feelings of past rugby experiences: the triumph, the exhilaration, the pain, the exhaustion that goes into your bones, everything.
So I played my first tournament with the Causeway Bay Phoenix team. I am definitely out of shape and was unable to loop the runners like I used to, or get to breakdowns quickly. But that is something to work on. Who knows, maybe I will get back into the former shape. In the meantime I am having fun.
I went to the Causeway Bay practice to see SB, or so I told myself. I was impressed with the women's practice and filled with just a bit of longing but I remained firm that those days were safely behind me. I had taken up windsurfing anyway, and was enjoying it immensely.
At the end of the practice something very minor happened. One of the players missed a pass and the ball rolled over to me. Instinctively I put out my foot to stop the ball. I am not exaggerating when I say that I felt a jolt go through me from the tip of my foot resting on the ball, up my leg. It's like when people say that in sudden dangerous moments their lives pass before their eyes except in my case the jolt brought the feelings of past rugby experiences: the triumph, the exhilaration, the pain, the exhaustion that goes into your bones, everything.
So I played my first tournament with the Causeway Bay Phoenix team. I am definitely out of shape and was unable to loop the runners like I used to, or get to breakdowns quickly. But that is something to work on. Who knows, maybe I will get back into the former shape. In the meantime I am having fun.
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