The Rough,Tough World Of Rugby 敢沖敢搶橄欖球

To the uninitiated, rugby is a game in which a bunch of powerfully built men throw themselves at one another in pursuit of an oval ball. In fact, this ancestor of modern American and Canadian football can seem more like an organized brawl than a highly technical sport with a complex set of rules. Apart from its sometimes chaotic demeanor, rugby is also unusual among modern sports in that its origins can be traced back to a single, seminal event.

In 1823, during a soccer game at the prestigious Rugby School in central England, one of the players impulsively picked up the ball and ran with it. The way soccer was played in those days, William Webb Ellis' rash action was practically suicidal. But his novel approach was taken up by other students, who went on to develop a new style of football. Known as Rugby football, it mainly involved throwing and running with the ball rather than kicking it.

The game grew in popularity, and in 1871, the Rugby Union was formed in London. It drew up the modern rules for a 15-a-side game using an oval ball. Nowadays, rugby is played in more than 80 countries around the world. As for William Webb Ellis, his spirit lives on. His name has been given to the trophy awarded to the winners of the quadrennial Rugby World Cup tournament.

For young men in New Zealand, the pinnacle of sporting achievement is widely reckoned to be donning the famous black uniform of the national rugby team. Ever since 1905, when the first officially sanctioned New Zealand touring team swept aside all opposition on a tour of Britain, the fearsome All Blacks have retained an aura of invincibility that has rarely been overcome.

Such is the reputation of the All Blacks that some believe they gain a psychological advantage over their opponents the moment they step out onto the playing field. If such an advantage really exists, it can only be enhanced when, as tradition dictates, the team performs the celebrated haka before the match kicks off.

Haka is the generic term for a traditional dance of the Maori people. Its connection with the game of rugby goes back to the late 19th century, when the New Zealand Native Team performed one on an unofficial tour of Britain. Nowadays, the haka is still led by a player of Maori descent whenever and wherever the All Blacks take the field.

While recent years have seen the All Blacks struggling to match their past successes, the emergence of skillful professionals such as Tongan-born winger Jonah Lomu ensures that the famous black jersey with the silver fern on the left breast is still able to instill awe in opponents and spectators alike.

對新西蘭的年輕人來說，運動生涯的最高成就，就是能穿上那套出名的橄欖球國家代表隊的黑色制服。自從1905年 第一支正式批準的新西蘭代表隊遠征英倫巡回比賽，橫掃所有對手，大獲全勝以來，這支令人生畏的“全黑隊”就保持了幾乎不可戰勝的氣勢。

這就是“全黑隊”的名聲，有些人認為，他們走上球場的那一刻，就在心理上壓倒了對手。如果這樣的優勢真的存在，當這支隊伍在傳統的指引下，在比賽前跳起著名的“哈卡”舞，這種優勢才能得到加強。

“哈卡”是毛利人一種傳統舞蹈的通稱。它與橄欖球運動的聯系可以追溯到19世紀末，新西蘭土著球隊隊在英國各地進行非正式比賽期間表演了這種舞蹈?，F在，不論何時何地，只要“全黑隊”比賽，就仍會有一名毛利人后裔球員帶 頭跳“哈卡”舞。

近幾年，“全黑隊”努力想恢復舊日榮光，球技超群的職業球員如：湯加出生的側翼大將喬納·洛姆等一一出現， 則可以保證：這件著名的左胸前鑲有銀蕨（注：新西蘭的國徽）的黑色球衣，還是能讓敵手膽戰心驚、讓觀眾肅然起敬的。

在外行的眼中，橄欖球賽只不過是一大群身材健壯的男人相互沖撞推擠，為了一顆橢圓形的球你爭我奪。事實上， 這個現代美加地區“美式足球”的始祖，看起來更像是一場有組織的爭吵，而不像是遵循復雜規則、講究高度技巧的運動。與其他現代運動相比較，橄欖球的不尋常之處，除了屢見不鮮的混亂場面，也在于它的起源，它可已追溯到某一重要的事件。

1823年，一場英格蘭中部享有盛名的拉格公學(Rugby School)舉行的足球賽中，一名球員一時沖動，把球拿起來帶著跑。以當時的足球玩法，威廉·韋伯·艾利斯的魯莽行動無疑是“自尋死路”。但他的這種新打法竟被其他學生接過來，繼而發展成一種新式的足球--被稱為橄欖球(Rugby football)，它以傳球和帶球跑為主，而不去踢球。

這項運動日見普及，到1871年，“橄欖球聯盟”在倫敦成立，擬定了現代的規則：每一隊15人，使用橢圓形球比賽?，F今，世界上有80多個國家舉行橄欖球賽。

至于艾利斯本人，他的精神永存。四年一次的世界杯橄欖球錦標賽的獎杯就是以“威廉·韋伯·艾利斯杯”命名的。