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Rugby Stories Contest Winners
Last week we asked for your best rugby stories, and you came through with some great ones. We took an internal poll and these were the two that most of us cited:
From Carly: Oberlin College's Women's Rugby team is an inspiration. They're a club team, have had only sporadic coaching, and are totally kept up by the love of the game/devotion of the players. One of my most prized possession is a hoodie that says: "OBERLIN COLLEGE WOMEN'S RUGBY: Bleed More Than Once a Month". Cheers, ladies.
From Tom in GA: For all the strange things that happen in American sports, few match the infamous in-match digital rectal exam that occurred in a rugby league game nine years ago. Condensed story to follow: During an Australian professional league game in 2001 Tongan-born player John Hopoate shoved his finger into the backside of players after being tackled. As one of the violated players said after a punishment hearing, "There was pressure there. I know he wasn't doing it accidentally. He was definitely pushing. I was disgusted. I couldn't believe it." Click here for a video of one of the incidents. Not for the squeamish.
Congratulations! You've both won a copy of Invictus, which is now available on DVD and Blu-ray. We'll be in touch about your prizes.
[See Also: "The Most Frightening Dance You'll Ever See," "The Rugby Rivalry that Brought New Zealand to the Brink of Civil War" and "A Beginner's Rugby Quiz"]