A game of Rugby League on a Saturday night in the winter isn’t very interesting. Yet, the men who run out one Saturday every month in the Masters of Rugby League Competition are.
The motto is
Masters of Rugby League- where old stars still shine.
What could be more fitting?
The competition is for men over 35 and who are retired from competitive football. Old champions, still hungry for a taste of the game they love. It is the football of old. A small stadium filled with family members and friends, the smell of meat pies and deep heat seeping through the air. The players are footballers of old and their love of the game shines as they run onto the field again.
As Referee Coordinator Colin Smith says, the game is really about respect
Players respect each other. Nobody tries to run over each other, they run at the holes. You don’t really see many injuries and that’s what makes the game work.
In compliance with the modified rules, this makes the game one of passion not of victory and injuries.
Men can play the game on Saturday and go to work on Monday.
Great examples can be drawn from the game on Saturday between the Rockdale Bulls and Dragon Dreamasters. The players ran out, laughing and smiling, with no intentions of hurting one another. As the game progressed you saw the emphasis on skill. As no score is kept, the game is ultimately about fun.
At half time, instead of being strategists, team members laughed at each other, their mistakes and compared old war wounds. When the game finished, both teams huddled together to show their respect for each other. Both teams talked and laughed, sharing beers and proving the true nature of mate ship that the competition achieves.
When the game is over, they leave to the sounds of their children’s praise and with the satisfaction of being able to once again play the game they love.
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