This England -- Let's Go to a Rugby Game!

I confess, when Rick said he wanted to go to a rugby game while we were in Bath, I wasn't exactly keen. I mean, what do we know about rugby? I'm not even fond of football and at least I know the rules.

But it is a very English sport and when in Rome (or Bath), get into the swing of it! So, while Rick was out riding his bike from Bath to Bristol and wherever all it took him, I was charged with getting rugby tickets! They weren't terribly expensive and we felt lucky to get them late the day before.

So, on game day, we set off for the city, enjoying a bit of a walk around first.

 

There was a peace protest going on at Bath Abbey, which was apparently part of a Euro (world?)-wide day of peace. I love a good protest!

We stopped at the Waitrose grocery and picked up some sandwiches for lunch and made our way to the river where we enjoyed some people-watching and a lovely view. It was very near the stadium so it was just a quick walk over when we were done.

It's very pretty by the river, with moored houseboats and a view of the city. At the far end of these photos, you can see Pulteny Bridge. There are actually stores ON the both sides of the bridge, and some lovely ones at that. It seems like you're just crossig the street -- till you look at it from the other way!

The game started with all the fun and festivity that those of us here might see on the Saturday game -- a band, flags, a celebratory feel.

And, because this was the home team, a card section, awaiting its ticket holders!

Now, if you know nothing about rugby (and I really still don't, much) let me describe it to you my way. If you combined the game of "Keep Away" with American football, you'd get the idea. Players keep passing the ball to each other, people try to tackle them, and there are two goal posts at opposite ends of the stadium and if you make a goal you get to kick for extra points. You can only throw the ball backwards, not in front of you. The game is constantly in motion and has two 40 minute halves. The clock rarely stops so it goes very fast.

There's also something called a scrum and I don't know what happens here but a bunch of players are in a heap with the guy with the ball on the bottom and somehow the ball gets out of the pile and they start running again. 

And every now and then they do what the fellow at the left in the photo below is -- they throw in the ball and the team lifts up a guy who catches it. Strong men, these rugby guys! 

The other thing about this -- and the thing that would make me say to my children "I'd rather you not play this game" is that there is zero protective padding or helmets. I don't know how many times the medics rushed out to the field but it was often! 

If it sounds confusing, no worries. It doesn't really matter. It's the joy of watching something new with a bunch of people you don't know, all very polite fans who cheer appropriately and don't boo. But they are enthusiastic and yes, beer is flowing!

Our game was a local rivalry -- Bath versus Bristol, which is the nearest large town over. Alas, Bristol won. But there was no couch burning (this is a Michigan State thing where after a major game where the Spartans lose, overly aggressive fans who drink too much burn sofas. I might have one they could use.) It doesn't go over well. 

After the game Rick and I did more walking and decided to have some dinner. Unfortunately, we hadn't made a reservation but we finally ended up at an Indian Restaurant that said they could seat us (early) if we could be out in about an hour. It worked for us. Unfortunately, this lovely restaurant sat us next to a table of 17 rugby fans, probably from Bristol, judging from their jolliness, and whatever beer they consumed at the game paled in what was going down now! They were so loud that we couldn't hear the waitress, much less ourselves across the table and it was a bit of a relief to leave! Pity, because the food was good.

So, we made our way to the bus station where a lovely encounter happened. The bus home had been sitting there when we arrived and apparently there was no driver. Two others were waiting as well, Rich (a rugby fan from the neighboring town of Frome who thankfully explained much of the game to us) and Millie, an effervescent young redhead, who had been in the city for the day and was headed back to her home in a hamlet near ours. They were just delightful to hang out with, which was a good thing. We waited around for close to an hour, thinking another bus would come in (it didn't). Finally, Rich decided to take the train home and Millie suggested an Uber.

All well and good but all we had was a credit card and American money. No worries, she said, paying for the ride. We decided that the next time we pay it forward, the lucky recipient has Millie to thank. 

I mention this because so many times we travel and we stay in our own bubbles. We talk with the people we travel with, we follow the map, play it safe. Rick and I could have just decided to stay there, talk to each other, wait for a bit and finally take a cab (that would take Visa, not all do, which is surprising to me.) But instead, we chatted with Rich and Millie and actually had a rather wonderful time, all things considered. I highly recommend it.

I wish I'd taken their photo.

The Uber dropped us off at the Hope and Anchor and rather than taking the hill, Rick showed me the rail trail, which at first seemed like a very good place to get murdered in a classic British mystery television series! Woods on either side, a dark tunnel. But it ended up being my favorite way home to watch one of those Brit mysteries!

Travel Tips:

• Advance tickets are smarter but don't hesitate to try in person, even if an event looks very popular, possibly sold out. You never can tell.
• Talk to the locals! Don't be afraid to strike up a conversation with someone at an event or even the bus station. Yes, pick your people with some caution, especially if traveling alone. But you can often get good tips about a city, nearby attractions or even the game you are watching!

• Consider a take-away lunch and picnic instead of a restaurant. Apart from being considerably less expensive, it's fun to people watch and adds another dimension to your travel experience. If you are lucky enough to find a grocery, all the better -- sandwiches and beverages are easy to come by. But food stands and bakery/pastry shops often have wonderful sandwiches too.  
• Do you really need local currency? Maybe yes, maybe no. You can do just about anything, anywhere, with a Visa card -- pay for the bus or tube, buy whatever you need. Rick even bought a pencil for 50p. BUT, because we hadn't yet exchanged currency (easy to do at the ATM but the fees are terrible, so we were looking for a specific bank with no fees for our cards), we really couldn't pay Millie. She was fine with it, but it would have been good.
  

(If you missed Rick's guest post about cycling around the area, you can check it out HERE.)

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