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Accompanied with Jonah Lomu Highlights.

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25th May 1965

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My personal ritual prior a rugby game is very important to me as it lets me focus and concentrate while also relaxing and keeping me calm. Prior to the game a try my best to keep calm. I achieve this by listening to music, closing my eyes and cracking jokes with fellow team mates. These practices keep me calm and keep me humbled before a game. The reason I try my best to stay calm and collected is so that I do not waste a single bit of shear anger and aggression. Throughout the warm up I focus on stretching my body right and getting rid of any lactic acid build up I may have. I try to block out any troubles or problems that may be on my mind and focus solely on the game and what I have to do personally for my team to become victorious. When the warm up is over I strap my wrist and draw a bold cross on my strapping tape to symbolise that God is with me throughout the game and he is watching out for me and keeping me safe. Just before my team is about to run onto the field to face the opposition we huddle in a circle and take one knee saying a prayer to bless and pray for the strength to be able to defeat the opposing team. We also pray for safety of everyone playing the game we all love. Finally as we run onto the playing field all of the calm and quiet part of me has vanished and the anger and aggression is unleashed.

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How Bad Do You Want It  (Success) [Inspirational Video]

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2 Corinthians 5:7

"For we walk by faith not by sight"

Psalms 18 32-34

"The God who equipped me with strength and made my way blameless. He made my feet like the feet of a deer and set me secure on the heights. He trains my hands for war, so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze."

Psalm 27:1

The LORD is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The LORD is the defense of my life; Whom shall I dread?

Psalm 144:1-2

Blessed be the LORD, my rock, Who trains my hands for war, And my fingers for battle; My lovingkindness and my fortress, My stronghold and my deliverer; My shield and He in whom I take refuge; Who subdues my people under me.

Ecclesiastes 3:8

A time to love, and a time to hate; A time for war, and a time for peace.

Matthew 5:8-9

"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

1 Timothy 1:18-19

This command I entrust to you, Timothy, my son, in accordance with the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you may fight the good fight, keeping faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and suffered shipwreck in regard to their faith.

2 Timothy 2:1-4

You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, these entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also. Suffer hardship with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier.

2 Corinthians 10:3-5

For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ,

1 Chronicles 5:20

And they were helped against them, and the Hagrites and all who were with them were given into their hand; for they cried out to God in the battle, and He was entreated for them, because they trusted in Him.

John 16:33-

"These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the
world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the
world."

Ephesians 6:11-17

Put on the full armor of God, that you may be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; in addition to all, taking up the shield you will be able to extinguish all the flaming missiles of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

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Personally I believe that spirituality is the way people apply their morals and personal beliefs to certain situations in life. It is also the way you can find inner peace with yourself in general. I feelthat spirituality may not be a connection with God but in another sense something that connects that makes you calm and feel good.

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WHY WE PLAY THE GAME
By Rupert McCall

When the battle scars have faded
And the truth becomes a lie
And the weekend smell of liniment
Could almost make you cry.

When the last ruck’s well behind you
And the man that ran now walks
It doesn’t matter who you are
The mirror sometimes talks

Have a good hard look old son!
The melon’s not that great
The snoz that takes a sharp turn sideways
Used to be dead straight

You’re an advert for arthritis
You’re a thoroughbred gone lame
Then you ask yourself the question
Why the hell you played the game?

Was there logic in the head knocks?
In the corks and in the cuts?
Did common sense get pushed aside?
By manliness and guts?

Do you sometimes sit and wonder
Why your time would often pass
In a tangled mess of bodies
With your head up someone’s @#$%&?

With a thumb hooked up your nostril
Scratching gently on your brain
And an overgrown Neanderthal
Rejoicing in your pain!

Mate - you must recall the jersey
That was shredded into rags
Then the soothing sting of Dettol
On a back engraved with tags!

It’s almost worth admitting
Though with some degree of shame
That your wife was right in asking
Why the hell you played the game?

Why you’d always rock home legless
Like a cow on roller skates
After drinking at the clubhouse
With your low down drunken mates

Then you’d wake up - check your wallet
Not a solitary coin
Drink Berocca by the bucket
Throw an ice pack on your groin

Copping Sunday morning sermons
About boozers being losers
While you limped like Quazimoto
With a half a thousand bruises!

Yes - an urge to hug the porcelain
And curse sambucca’s name
Would always pose the question
Why the hell you played the game!

And yet with every wound re-opened
As you grimly reminisce it
Comes the most compelling feeling yet
God, you bloody miss it!

From the first time that you laced a boot
And tightened every stud
That virus known as ‘rugby’
Has been living in your blood

When you dreamt it; when you played it
All the rest took second fiddle
Now you’re standing on the sideline
But your heart’s still in the middle

And no matter where you travel
You can take it as expected
There will always be a breed of people
Hopelessly infected

If there’s a teammate, then you’ll find him
Like a gravitating force
With a common understanding
And a beer or three, of course

And as you stand there telling lies
Like it was yesterday old friend
You’ll know that if you had the chance
You’d do it all again

You see – that is the thing with rugby
It will always be the same
And that, I guarantee
Is why the hell you played the game!