–– Titus Cantrell
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On September 7, South Africa’s rugby team, The Springboks, beat the New Zealand All Blacks by 18 points to 12 in another thrilling contest between rugby’s fiercest rivals. Saturday’s victory positions the Springboks as the strong favorites to win this year’s Rugby Championship, building on the winning streak of the back-to-back Rugby World Cup champions. The impact of rugby in post-apartheid South Africa is a testament to the unifying power of sport on a national level, but there is another way in which Christians can see the redeeming value of rugby on an individual level: rugby is a tool to help boys become men.
God has called men to lead, provide, and protect their families. This was His design before the fall and it is still the case in a fallen world – though it has become more difficult and dangerous. In Genesis 3:19, God told Adam that the role of a provider after the curse would now involve strenuous sweat-inducing labor. In Genesis 4, the first murder made it clear that violence would pose another threat to man’s existence. Good men would now have to protect their families from evil men, heeding the call of Nehemiah to the men of Israel in Nehemiah 4:14, “Fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes.”
According to Scripture, a godly man in a fallen world must be willing and able to fight, never for pride or personal revenge, but for the good of others. As a leader, he must fight against his flesh to serve those in his care. As a provider, he must fight with the ground to reap crops from it. As a protector, he must fight against evil men who would do his family harm. Thus, a godly man is called to be a fighter – one who can wrestle with adversity until he emerges victorious. Rugby teaches boys to do this.
Strenuous sports are an excellent simulation of the difficulties of life. Perhaps this is why the New Testament uses running and boxing as illustrations of the endurance and discipline required of a Christian in Hebrews 12:1-4 and 1 Cor 9:24-27. The game of rugby simulates some of the most difficult challenges a boy will face in adult life. It allows him to experience the chaos of adversity, mitigated by the structured environment provided by coaches, referees, and rules. Rugby can teach a boy to persevere in the face of fear and pain. It can teach him to work with a team towards a common goal, learning to sacrifice for the good of his teammates. Rugby can teach a young man to take responsibility for his actions, learning that practice makes perfect and preparation leads to victory. Rugby also offers young men an opportunity to experience thrilling victory and crushing defeat and learn how to handle both with humility.
Furthermore, the physical nature of rugby helps boys to develop manly strength. While scripture certainly emphasizes spiritual growth over physical development, it is also true that discipline learned in one area can be applied in another. Men who learn to deny themselves in the weight room and on the rugby field can apply that same skill in the church and the family. In 2 Timothy 2:1-5, the apostle Paul tells Timothy to imitate the endurance of a soldier, an athlete, and a farmer, who all deny themselves in order to receive a reward.
Christians are certainly called to be prudent and avoid foolish risks and parents are right to be concerned about the safety of their young men. But Scripture also commands men frequently, “do not fear,” “be men of courage,” and “be strong” (1 Cor 16:13). Parents would be wise to consider the real danger–that boys will be raised with an effeminate aversion to difficulty and suffering if they never have the opportunity to do something painful and even marginally dangerous. Courage is something that must be learned and the rugby field is one great place to learn it.
The Springboks have inspired our nation because they have marched onto the rugby field to represent South Africa against the rest of the world. They have shown that South African men can work as a team to defeat adversity. They have been courageous, strong, skilful, and manly, and our young men would do well to imitate their example in these areas.