Sometimes, when faced with a serious dilemma, it is worth rewinding back to the start. It can even help occasionally to open a dictionary and check, for example, a sport’s precise definition. So here’s a quiz question: which of the following appears beside the word “rugby” in the Concise Oxford English Dictionary? Is it a) a collision-based game, b) a physical contest or c) a contact sport? Take your time because this is important.
Because, interestingly, the aforementioned dictionary listing includes none of the three descriptions above. Instead it simply reads: “Game played with oval ball which may be kicked or carried.” Keep that in mind as you ponder what modern rugby union should be aiming to be and whether it is becoming too confusing by half for players, referees and fans alike.
