No Shame In This League

SHAUN COOK looks at rugby as it should be played, the never dull bottom tier of Cambridge Rugby

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Mentioning rugby in Cambridge instantly turns people’s thought to the Blues, with their international standard players and, of course, the biggest student grudge match in the history of rugby: Varsity at Twickenham. If, on the other hand, conversation turns to college rugby, the inevitable John’s vs. Jesus debate arises, no year more so than this one.

There is, however, another side to college rugby; a side which is rarely mentioned, but is certainly no less important. No doubt it is much less glamorous than division one, and it lacks headlines, but it is still full of people who are just as passionate about the game as any of the top teams. This season, Sidney, who I captain, is playing in The League of Shame – the lowest division the university has to offer.

Sidney in action against fellow ‘Shamers’ Fitzwilliam

Week in week out, we struggle to put out a team of 15 guys. Usually we manage and some of them have even played rugby before. Mostly, I meet the team at the plodge half an hour before kick-off, to find we only have 10 players.

This is where the fabled ringers come in. As a League of Shame captain, I have been forced to develop Derren Brown-esque powers of suggestion in order to field a team with people from the street.  Recently, our team included someone touring John’s who fancied a look at Sidney, and someone’s brother who happened to be up visiting and ‘looked like he could handle it’.

The League of Shame epitomises exactly what sport should be about, and what we are losing in the current professional era: teams who just play for the sake of playing. There are no trophies to be won, and no relegation to fear; it’s just two groups of guys having a game of rugby, because they want to play. The standard may not be technically as good as anything you would see in the top division, but in spite of this it has built up a cult following.

The Sidney team has a group of stalwart fans who travel to all the games and cheer the guys on. Admittedly, many of our fans have recently become players too. And, yes: these ‘stalwart fans’ may only be of one or two people, but they are there every week, without fail, and they watch the teams compete for nothing but winning itself, usually running the touchlines too, to give a hand.


The pace of the game may not be quite up there with Blues Rugby

These few fans epitomise what rugby, at an amateur level, should be about: two teams knocking lumps out of each other on the field, and then walking off the field shaking hands. The lack of accolades or trophies means that – there is no need for animosity.

The Blues may be the face of Cambridge rugby, and Division One the pinnacle for a college team, but I’ll be at John’s pitches on Thursday watching The League of Shame.  That’s what rugby is all about.