What’s All The Fuss About!
So what is all the fuss about? An army of affronted Rugby Union journalists fill their columns with feigned invective about the antics of England’s exciting winger, Chris Ashton, before he touches the ball down for a try. And yet they, and their sports editors, are only too keen to fill their newspaper’s pages with spectacular pictures of the former Wigan RL youngster’s triumphant dive.
Why should they and the England coach attack the exuberance of a young lad who is enjoying expressing himself on a pitch and bringing excitement and joy to the many thousands watching his celebratory antics? If he drops the ball or has it knocked from beneath his arm then so be it. But if he scores, and as dramatically as he does, then he will have delighted and thrilled many spectators, and especially youngsters who need to be attracted to the game.
The general TV viewer will not be attracted to Rugby Union or League if the fun and adventure is taken out of either game. No youngster should play in a sport where his natural instincts to entertain are denied. After all, that is why, surely, people watch rugby - to be entertained. I confess that I belong to a generation which applauded the player when he placed the ball down behind the try line and merely walked back modestly to welcome a shake of the hands from any team mates in the vicinity. But in 2011 both codes of rugby are battling to welcome ever more fans to their games and both must never fail to realise that sport is a part of the entertainment business.
Let the coach or the player pile on the mournful face at every media conference, enthuse endlessly about complicated tactics, or talk constantly in the mumbo jumbo technical speak of both games and the supporters will soon become bored with a game that offers little to lighten the mood. Remember that the spectators are not the professionals, it is the players. And those spectators want to be entertained, want to retain memories of a Chris Ashton try or a Sean Long touchdown, and they especially want to have a smile on their face as they watch any celebratory antics.
So from one who scored very few tries in over 500 games of Union and League, and who always walked back from the try line with barely a smile on his face (more a sense of shock!) can I urge Chris Ashton, Sean Long and company to keep up the fun and entertain us whenever you can.
Ray French (February 2011)
Why should they and the England coach attack the exuberance of a young lad who is enjoying expressing himself on a pitch and bringing excitement and joy to the many thousands watching his celebratory antics? If he drops the ball or has it knocked from beneath his arm then so be it. But if he scores, and as dramatically as he does, then he will have delighted and thrilled many spectators, and especially youngsters who need to be attracted to the game.
The general TV viewer will not be attracted to Rugby Union or League if the fun and adventure is taken out of either game. No youngster should play in a sport where his natural instincts to entertain are denied. After all, that is why, surely, people watch rugby -
Let the coach or the player pile on the mournful face at every media conference, enthuse endlessly about complicated tactics, or talk constantly in the mumbo jumbo technical speak of both games and the supporters will soon become bored with a game that offers little to lighten the mood. Remember that the spectators are not the professionals, it is the players. And those spectators want to be entertained, want to retain memories of a Chris Ashton try or a Sean Long touchdown, and they especially want to have a smile on their face as they watch any celebratory antics.
So from one who scored very few tries in over 500 games of Union and League, and who always walked back from the try line with barely a smile on his face (more a sense of shock!) can I urge Chris Ashton, Sean Long and company to keep up the fun and entertain us whenever you can.
Ray French (February 2011)