One of the pregame videos that played on the Choctaw Stadium video board Saturday night referenced rugby culture. It explained the tradition whereby players and fans of the opposing teams share fellowship (and often malted beverages) after a match.
I’ve always considered this post-fracas conviviality one of my favorite features of the sport. The visiting Houston Sabercats’ brews might taste the best after they recorded a come-from-behind win in the Dallas Jackals’ first-ever home game. While the numbers on the scoreboard didn’t add up the way the home fans would have preferred, they got to see an exciting game featuring 11 tries.
Of course, many of them may not have known what a “try” was (it’s the equivalent of an American football touchdown). But that’s actually part of the reason to go. It’s fun to learn a new sport, especially when it’s played at a high level, and Major League Rugby is the top club-level rugby union competition in this country. While the quality of play is not yet equivalent to those in rugby hotbeds like England, France, and New Zealand, it’s still enjoyable to watch.
The game also epitomizes the fact that Tarrant County is currently enjoying its golden age of professional team sports. For most of the region’s history, baseball was the main option. The Fort Worth Cats, Dallas-Fort Worth Spurs, or Texas Rangers were occasionally joined by a minor league hockey franchise or, for two seasons, Fort Worth Flyers basketball.
But then the local NFL team built a spaceship in Arlington. The WNBA added the Dallas Wings. Now you can choose from not one, but two soccer teams: the Vaqueros in Fort Worth and North Texas Soccer Club in Arlington. Panther City Lacrosse arrived this past year (speaking of new sports you might want to check out). The XFL had a team, and might return here in 2023. And you’ve still got baseball, with the Cleburne Railroaders and the Rangers.
When the MLB team moved next door to Globe Life Field, it didn’t demolish its old stadium. In that same time frame, Dickie’s Arena opened in Fort Worth. Those facilities plus AT&T Stadium and College Park Center add up to five legitimately professional-quality sports venues west of 360. Not too long ago, Tarrant County had one, and Arlington Stadium was considered one of the worst ballyards in the Majors.
And, of course, we have a rugby team. A rugby team, for goodness sakes! There is a group looking to start a circuit in the sport of rugby league, which is a 13-man-a-side code with a few more different rules you’d need to learn if they placed a team here. Can you imagine Tarrant County with two pro rugby teams?
When you attend a Jackals game, they provide information in the game program and via the PA to help you understand what’s happening on the field. But the running, tackling, and kicking parts are pretty intuitive. So is going to get a beer with your mates and your foes after the match. That’s a good tradition, one that should be shared with other sports. And thanks to the proliferation of teams in the area, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to do just that.
