Going internationally crazy

All Hands, July, 2004 by Charles L. Ludwig

I probably shouldn't admit this in the pages of an international magazine, but when I was younger, I did some pretty stupid things. I'm talking about downright outrageous risks, stuff professional crazy men like Evel Knievel and others would never even dream of.

Doubt me? Well, listen to this: I used to drink soda while eating pop rocks! (I could have exploded you know.) Not enough for you? Well how about this: I used to drive a car that was NOT equipped with a CD player!

Ever try to jump off of your parents' roof in a single bound ... because there was nothing better to do? I did-when I was a teenager. I was a rebel.

But among the craziest things I remember doing was playing a weekly game of rugby at a lot down the street from my house. For us, rugby translated roughly into, "destroy the man with the ball," so bloody noses, twisted ankles, and occasional broken bones were the rule. The pain didn't matter, because it was all about FUN.

Despite being a "rugby veteran," I can't imagine any reason why I would ever step on a field with one of the highest-ran ked rugby teams in Europe. Why would anyone? You'd need to talk to a group of USS Wasp (LHD 1) Sailors to find out.

In March, Wasp's rugby team played their first game during a port visit in Valletta, Malta, teaming up with the island's star 'B' team to take on Kavallieri RFC, the two-time defending champion of the Malta Rugby Football Union League.

Teaming up with the Malta Alligators in the game meant 80 minutes of hard-hitting, energy-sapping action in one of the world's most physically demanding sports.

This wasn't your typical destroy-the-man-with the-ball game, as Disbursing Clerk 3rd Class (SW/AW) Mike Penenori soon discovered.

"I'm still new to the sport so I was bit confused during the first couple of plays]' he said. "Yet, practice and playing are totally different. The running and hitting took my body by surprise."

Prior to the match, Wasp's team had four weeks of practice to prepare for the spirited contests. That training routine couldn't prepare the Sailors and Marines for the intense physical contact that comes with competitive rugby.

"The opposing team played pretty rough. They didn't hesitate to throw in extra kicks and elbows," said Dental Technician 1st Class Ron Hunter, a North Carolina native (not exactly rugby country). "We've been practicing for about a month, yet nothing can prepare you for the hits, tackles and scrums."

Hits? Tackles and scrums? This sounds vaguely like the game I played before. M1 that's missing is the bloody noses. But what happened after the game jogs even more memories.

In my "rugby" days, it was common for everyone to finish playing, patch up various injuries and hobble out to a group dinner and a night on the town. See, in my experience, a dash of craziness here and there brings about a lifetime of camaraderie and friendship. In Malta, those qualities are apparently not lost in translation.

"(The Maltese rugby players) picked us up from the ship, allowed us to play in their match, and took us out for food and drinks afterwards," said Marine Corps Cpl. Joseph Gaughan of Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron (HMM) 266. "The opposing team even carne out with us."

Okay folks, let's add this up: 80 minutes of beating each other up followed by a night of merriment and international high spirits. Hmmm ...

I've changed my mind. Call me for the next game.