Do you have to be a public school tosser to play rugby or as they call it rugger?

Answer 1

In England very much so ! from what i've seen anyway. In Australia well lets say Sydney its still fairly much a GPS (Greater Public Schools) or Private School sport, but not always. Rugby still seems to dominate in the more affluent areas of Sydney the North Shore and Eastern Suburbs perhaps.

Most State or Public Schools won't have a Rugby team but will have plenty of League teams, unless their Selective Schools. I played both League & Union for Parramatta, but only up to 3rd grade! (Presidents Cup in League). Being considered Sydneys West, although it's more like the center of Sydney these days it was a League stronghold and was once considered to have the best Juniors in the world, probably even more so back in my fathers day. He also was a Parramatta boy.

Most Union (Rugby) players at Parramatta well say 2/3rds were Maori or Pacific Islanders, just shows how strong they value the game over there, and anything but Private School boys.

Having said all that, yes there still are vast differences between the two codes and where there played. Interesting that in Australia a public School is a State run lower advantaged school except for the "Greater Public Schools" which are Private and very priviledged, I suspect they do have plenty of tossers in them, we call them "wankers" out here !

Answer 2

In South Africa and New Zealand it's farm-boys.
In Australia, Scotland, Canada and the US it's University kids.
In the Pacific Islands, it's everyone.
Everywhere else it's the middle rather than the lower class.
Here in Hong Kong, the Chinese who represent their country at the sport, often come from an orphanage that started bringing kids to mini-rugby years ago.

So even with my very narrow-minded view of what is 'good people', even I cannot readily call all these groups 'tossers'.

Answer 3

Who on earth calls it "rugger"?
As an Australian, anyone and everyone plays rugby. Public school or not. Tosser or not.

Answer 4

In UK yes but elsewhere no. The game originated in the public schools and universities in England hence it is still an upper class game. You don't see many working class people play for England do you. To play league you are basically working/middle class as the game was played in mining and mill town areas once the RFL broke away from the Twickenham fuddy duddies.

Most Twickenham fuddy duddies would not last five minutes on a league pitch as they don't have the skill levels or fitness levels to compete.

Answer 5

Who are you calling tosser! I shall endeavour to pugilate with you next time I come across you at Twickers watching the rugger!

Answer 6

It would be far more fun for you to conduct your own research to find out the answer to this question.

I have this wonderful picture of you wandering up to two teams of rugby players and asking them if they are 'public school tossers'.

Rugby is played at both state and public schools. Although, like many sports, as state schools sell off playing fields for housing and focus more on getting students through exams the resources available to ensure that is played well decreases.

Answer 7

Public schools tend to have the facilities to enable their students to play rugby - whereas state schools are a lot less likely to. There are rugby teams around outside of schools and I asure you they do not discriminate. I play rugby (I go to a state school), they don't offer rugby at my school though.

Answer 8

Play League what all the hard bartardos play.

Most come froma mining or milling village or a run down council estate.

No public school tossers there, just brute thugs. :-)

Answer 9

Who calls it rugger only people who dont realy know or like the game call it rugger

Answer 10

To play Union, yes. It also helps if you own a Barbour jacket, have a highly paid part time job with a financial institution in the City, consider Hugh Grant to be your ideal role model, and are called Toby, Ollver, Josh or now..."Magnus"

To play League, absolutely not.