A historical comparison of the history of And what might happen to Rugby.
Warning: The following story is purely fictional and is kept deliberately polemical, exaggerated and heretical. It wants to stimulate thought and discussion. All names can be replaced by others. Whoever finds spelling errors may keep them English is not my native tongue, so please try to ignore language errors. The Names are German, because I originally wrote this story in German. It referrs to the current situation of Rugby in Germany but might also come true for other countries.
It is the year 2052 and The Summer Olympic Games, for repeated times in Dubai, are shortly ahead. Peter and Gökhan are avid "rugby" players and fans. Both have a lanky stature and are good sprinters. "Rugby" seems like it was made for them because pure sprinting is too boring for them. Germany had become a significant "rugby" nation and become a medal is in sight.
Recently, the time machine was invented and you can travel through time without changing the time line. The question is not where, but when to go for vacations. They decide to travel to 1963 to look at the final of the Handball World Championship. It was fought between the FRG and the GDR in Vienna. When they arrive at the stadium, they think they are at the wrong address. They don't find a gym, but a football stadium. 15,000 people wanted to see this game and even though they are surprised at the strange venue, Peter and Gökhan follow the signs that lead to their seats. Strangely, they see a game that is not similar to the Handball game they know. It is actually played in a football stadium, it occurred to be 11 against 11 and the game in the midfield is found terribly boring by them. A pure throwing-theball-here-and-there. Peter and Gökhan lose interest in the game, especially since the early GDR seems unassailable lead. More interesting than the game is a man who apparently was, due to his Saxon dielect a refugee from the East, but cheered the East German team wildly. He comments on each game scene and seems to be able to identifiy tactical means in the supposingly boring midfield game. Very good, very good," he exclaims, "this is how to control the midfield," Peter and Gökhan make fun of him, but the man notices. "You young people have no idea of sports," he yells at the boys. Peter replies that this is not a handball. The East German Handball fan is noticeably angry and snorts of the past travelers' You young people ... I need you to tell you something: Is THAT handball! If you want to see the ****ing indoor ****, then bugger off to Sweden! "" In the future, handball only be played in the hall ", Peter, could not resist saying after the game. The Handball fan had probably seen the signs of time, probably a reason for his angry reaction. "Maybe," mutters, sheds a tear and goes home.
Peter and Gökhan are a bit confused.
Back in their time, they investigate and find out that the the World Cup was the last in Field handball. In 1963 in Scandinavia, an indoor variant was developed that was faster, more action and more spectacular. It was interesting for the spectators and was included in the 1972 Olympic Games. Until 1936 the outdoor version had been an Olympic sport. Handball 11s had been forgotten and was replaced by the indoor version of the sport. In many countries, which today represent great Handball nations the outdoor version has never been popular anyway.
Peter and Gökhan meet for training the youth team in the "Rugby" in the Fritz Grunebaum Sports Park, which had meanwhile been turned into a pretty small stadium with 8,000 seats. "Rugby" has become a popular sport in Germany and the national team plays in a high position in the world rankings.
The two youth internationals kick each other to balls, catch them and then run after them without looking left or right. A kick however goes slightly wrong and is caught by a spectator who had been watching all the time motionless. The man is about 70 and throws the ball with a perfect spin back to Gökhan. The young athletes look at the elder man andnotice a DRV lapel pin on his suit. They start to talk "I do not understand you guys. You play this game without knowing that you have destroyed it "" Please what? "Gökhan and Peter replied and seem extremely irritated. "You young people have no idea about sports" the man continued. The wise, but slightly bitter face of the elderly man froze them. "My name is Alexander Widiker and I used to be the most capped national player when `Rugby` was still Rugby. And now look what they have done with it ... just because the audience did not understand the normal rugby game as it once was, because too few tries were made and because not a lot seemed to going on the midfield" Somehow Peter and Gökhan have heard this before. The old one took a screen from his pocket, unfolded it and showed them videos of the now-forgotten variant. "Before, we played 15 against 15, it was about space gain by tactics and power, not just about running. Peter and Gökhan were already surprised by the short and stocky stature of the old man and would not have thought that this man used to be a rugby player at all. "Back then, rugby was a sport for men, but today there is nothing but "catch me if you can". But in 2016, when you were not even born this degenerated version of my beloved sport was Olympic, but this version was probably more interesting for the audience, the real rugby fell into oblivion. The two boys don't bother to listen to the old man anymore. Times change. They found the original Rugby allegedly barbaric and just a wild brawl and it took forever to score a try. Terribly boring. Like this terrible outdoor Handball. Terribly boring this historic sports. They went back to the field and practiced more "rugby". The old man sheds a tear and goes home
Warning: The following story is purely fictional and is kept deliberately polemical, exaggerated and heretical. It wants to stimulate thought and discussion. All names can be replaced by others. Whoever finds spelling errors may keep them English is not my native tongue, so please try to ignore language errors. The Names are German, because I originally wrote this story in German. It referrs to the current situation of Rugby in Germany but might also come true for other countries.
It is the year 2052 and The Summer Olympic Games, for repeated times in Dubai, are shortly ahead. Peter and Gökhan are avid "rugby" players and fans. Both have a lanky stature and are good sprinters. "Rugby" seems like it was made for them because pure sprinting is too boring for them. Germany had become a significant "rugby" nation and become a medal is in sight.
Recently, the time machine was invented and you can travel through time without changing the time line. The question is not where, but when to go for vacations. They decide to travel to 1963 to look at the final of the Handball World Championship. It was fought between the FRG and the GDR in Vienna. When they arrive at the stadium, they think they are at the wrong address. They don't find a gym, but a football stadium. 15,000 people wanted to see this game and even though they are surprised at the strange venue, Peter and Gökhan follow the signs that lead to their seats. Strangely, they see a game that is not similar to the Handball game they know. It is actually played in a football stadium, it occurred to be 11 against 11 and the game in the midfield is found terribly boring by them. A pure throwing-theball-here-and-there. Peter and Gökhan lose interest in the game, especially since the early GDR seems unassailable lead. More interesting than the game is a man who apparently was, due to his Saxon dielect a refugee from the East, but cheered the East German team wildly. He comments on each game scene and seems to be able to identifiy tactical means in the supposingly boring midfield game. Very good, very good," he exclaims, "this is how to control the midfield," Peter and Gökhan make fun of him, but the man notices. "You young people have no idea of sports," he yells at the boys. Peter replies that this is not a handball. The East German Handball fan is noticeably angry and snorts of the past travelers' You young people ... I need you to tell you something: Is THAT handball! If you want to see the ****ing indoor ****, then bugger off to Sweden! "" In the future, handball only be played in the hall ", Peter, could not resist saying after the game. The Handball fan had probably seen the signs of time, probably a reason for his angry reaction. "Maybe," mutters, sheds a tear and goes home.
Peter and Gökhan are a bit confused.
Back in their time, they investigate and find out that the the World Cup was the last in Field handball. In 1963 in Scandinavia, an indoor variant was developed that was faster, more action and more spectacular. It was interesting for the spectators and was included in the 1972 Olympic Games. Until 1936 the outdoor version had been an Olympic sport. Handball 11s had been forgotten and was replaced by the indoor version of the sport. In many countries, which today represent great Handball nations the outdoor version has never been popular anyway.
Peter and Gökhan meet for training the youth team in the "Rugby" in the Fritz Grunebaum Sports Park, which had meanwhile been turned into a pretty small stadium with 8,000 seats. "Rugby" has become a popular sport in Germany and the national team plays in a high position in the world rankings.
The two youth internationals kick each other to balls, catch them and then run after them without looking left or right. A kick however goes slightly wrong and is caught by a spectator who had been watching all the time motionless. The man is about 70 and throws the ball with a perfect spin back to Gökhan. The young athletes look at the elder man andnotice a DRV lapel pin on his suit. They start to talk "I do not understand you guys. You play this game without knowing that you have destroyed it "" Please what? "Gökhan and Peter replied and seem extremely irritated. "You young people have no idea about sports" the man continued. The wise, but slightly bitter face of the elderly man froze them. "My name is Alexander Widiker and I used to be the most capped national player when `Rugby` was still Rugby. And now look what they have done with it ... just because the audience did not understand the normal rugby game as it once was, because too few tries were made and because not a lot seemed to going on the midfield" Somehow Peter and Gökhan have heard this before. The old one took a screen from his pocket, unfolded it and showed them videos of the now-forgotten variant. "Before, we played 15 against 15, it was about space gain by tactics and power, not just about running. Peter and Gökhan were already surprised by the short and stocky stature of the old man and would not have thought that this man used to be a rugby player at all. "Back then, rugby was a sport for men, but today there is nothing but "catch me if you can". But in 2016, when you were not even born this degenerated version of my beloved sport was Olympic, but this version was probably more interesting for the audience, the real rugby fell into oblivion. The two boys don't bother to listen to the old man anymore. Times change. They found the original Rugby allegedly barbaric and just a wild brawl and it took forever to score a try. Terribly boring. Like this terrible outdoor Handball. Terribly boring this historic sports. They went back to the field and practiced more "rugby". The old man sheds a tear and goes home
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