I don't follow Rugby league but respect it as a sport and think it phenomenal athletes and is almost always a pretty good watch on the rare occasions I catch a game.
I'm from South Liverpool originally then relocated to Chester at a young age, with family that only care about football, so Union (I was educated in the state school system so zero exposure) and League were never sports I was exposed to or had the opportunity to try.
A few years back though when my job was mobile, I spent 6 months project managing a small build in St Helens. One of the lads on site was a semi-pro Rugby League player who had come through St Helens' youth system. I once saw him cut a tiger load horizontally and place two pies between the halves, eating it like a gigantic sandwich
He was fucking massive suffice to say. Anyway, as they all did every Monday, they were talking about the matches from the weekend and someone asked who I supported.
Me: 'No one.'
Them: 'Sorry you must have misunderstood. We mean which league team do you follow?'
Me: 'I've never watched a game, I don't have a Rugby League Team.'
Cue disbelieving silence. You'd think I'd said something super offensive. Immediately they all demanded I join them to go and watch a game. Half were from Wigan, the rest St Helens and to a man they were obsessed with the Rugby. The next day one of the lads handed me a ticket to an upcoming midweek game and said I was coming with them. More of a demand than a question. We went on either a Wednesday or Thursday to Warrington to watch Warrington Wolves v St Helens. I can't remember the exact score, Warrington definitely won even though St Helens were leading at half time. I remember the boys being dejected as St Helens had apparently been on a massive winning streak and were considered the better team.
It was fast, furious, aggressive, but controlled and respectful. It made you feel a bit of shame towards football in some ways really. I massively enjoyed it, the commitment of it, the devastating way that one mistake can be punished so badly within seconds. I remember one lad for St Helens, a full-back, being absolutely brilliant. I did keep an eye out for St Helens' results the season after and start to watch highlights packages, but leaving that environment where the team would always badger me to watch and get into it, I did fall out of the pattern of keeping an eye open for results.
I think I'm going to endeavour to get into it this next season and maybe try and go to a few games. Warrington Wolves are certainly the closest to where I am now, maybe 45 minutes up the A49. I don't know whether they're any good or not, I suppose Leigh, Wigan and Salford aren't all that much further. Gonna make my Missus come with me.
When does the season run and how much are tickets?
