RUGBY GALAXY FAR, FAR AWAY – Granted, Star Wars can indeed be considered an exclusive proclivity for, well… Nerds. But if you think about it, nearly everyone has seen the original trilogy at some point. That, plus the fact that today is some sort of Star Wars celebration – Star Wars Day – combined with a query by a gentlemen in a rugby chat-room as to whether he should expose his young kids to these movies, as the inspiration(s) for this article. . I tuned out immediately but then it morphed into something that got my attention. The question was if you had to make a rugby team of Star Wars characters, who would you pick and why? Well on International Star-Wars day, I figure this would be the day to reveal the RWU All-Star Wars team.
TEAM
1. Rankor: Strong, fast and mobile. Not afraid of a little contact which is key for a loose-head.
2. Ewok: Undersized yes, but a load of feisty and not afraid to protect those on his side.
3. Jabba: You lose mobility in a big way but your set-piece will be solid.
4. Chewbacca: A Wookie with an angry disposition adds the right amount of grunt for the tight lock role.
5. Darth Vader (Captain): He will win all line-out ball, provide enough force to move Jabba and will command presence as the captain.
6. Boba Fett: Will have no problem cutting the opposition in half in order to help get turnover ball. Will demand to be paid per turnover ball however.
7. Jango Fett: Same as his son and the price just doubled.
8. Mace Wanadu: Calm and composed with controlled aggression and good vision.
9. Darth Maul: Nimble, quick and having no problem bossing the forwards. Can also use Jedi mind tricks. For instance, he will tell the ref, “This is the ball you wish to see,” even when unplayable.
10. Luke Skywalker: Natural to lead a back-line attack. May only make half the training sessions, as is his nature.
11. Lando Calrisian: As a diplomat, he will choose his moments carefully and look busy.
12. Qui-Gon Jinn: A great link-man, who will be strong on defense and work well with the Fly-half and Outside Center.
13. Obi-Wan Kenobi: With the difficulty of playing the 13 channel, there is no more complete defender and play-maker for this position.
14. Wedge Antilles: A flyer not scared of top speed and willing to take his opportunities… no matter how small the gap.
15. Hans Solo: Can be bit reckless but is fearless in the air and takes pride in not being beat.
COACHES:
Head Coach & Backs Coach: Yoda: The prefect leader of the coaching staff to train and prep for victory. Who else can juggle all those personalities? As backs coach he will harness their collective talents.
Forwards, Scrum & Line-outs: Emperor Palpatine: Coaching the forwards requires knowledge of the Dark Arts and he is more than skilled in this area. His forwards will guarantee front-foot ball.
Defense: Admiral Akbar: Someone has to teach the team how to identify a trap by the offense.
And there you have it, the RWU All-Star Wars Team. Who will they play? How about a Lord Of The Rings XV??? Too nerdy? Maybe. But feel free to have your say and disagree.
As always, keep low and keep pumping those legs.
