Hey everybody! Thought I'd update you on how things have been going so far. I've been to two rugby practices so far; I have another practice scheduled for today, although I don't think I'll be able to make it. So far, while playing rugby, I have:
sprained my thumb
bruised both my knees
strained my quads
rolled my ankle
gotten punched in the face
and strained my neck. Along with various scratches and bruises all over the rest of my body and a general soreness that I just can't seem to shake. I have a game on Saturday, so I'm hoping I feel better in time to play. Even if I don't, I'll play anyways. It's a valuable experience that I cannot afford to miss for the sake of my field study. Also, I have a feeling it will be a lot of fun. In my field study, I have learned a ton of new things about both my field site and the rugby players who go there. What surprised me when I arrived at my first practice was how much older the group was than I anticipated. Although there was a much larger group of college kids present at the second practice I attended, it is clear that the core group of players who drive the team are all in their 30's. I didn't think that there would be guys of that age group still willing to put their bodies through such extremes, especially considering that most of them have families and other jobs. The size of the group also surprised me; there were about 25 people at the second practice I attended, with more sure to be coming on game day.

I was intrigued by the relevance of masculinity within the group; asserting one's manliness and toughness is essential to being accepted into the group, and they do not take kindly to having any of these qualities challenged, as I found out when I tackled a man larger than me and got punched in the face for it. This need for the men to prove themselves creates an underlying tension within the subculture as they all compete to out-do one another. I'm curious to see how this tension manifests itself within the group (aside from me occasionally getting punched in the face). I was also intrigued by the relative homologous make-up of the team as well. Aside from Reed, a young, thin black man whom I met at the second practice I attended, everyone of the 30 or so men I have seen at the practices have been white. I'm curious as to why this is.

There were a couple of things that genuinely disturbed me while I was attending practice. The location of the field itself and it's condition worry me. The field is located partly on a cesspool, and the odor of the location would suggest that the amount of bacteria in the air and on the field is probably appalling. The comment one of the players made that needles had been found on the field earlier in the season also worried me greatly. Needles could pose a huge risk if they are infected with HIV, and even if they are not, my mom warned me that Hep B is almost universally contracted among heroine users in Providence. I would rather avoid that. The fact the men at the practices just ignore the dangers this pose also concerns me; is there nothing these guys won't do to prove how tough they are? Are their priorities really in the right place? I'll have to see. More observation is definitely needed.