Ian (1) follows me up the stairs to our INK office most Wednesdays and Fridays, wincing with pain and boasting about the rugby match from the night before. He proudly de- scribes tries (analogous to a touchdown in American football) scored and shakes his head in embarrassment at mistakes. Some days I try to guess ahead if he’ll have any injuries and ailments, or be crabby due to a bad game. Although the league is touch rugby (simi- lar to flag football) and open to all skill levels, it’s clear there’s plenty of rough play and competition out on the field. Nobody likes to lose, right? David Gold (i.e., “Doc” (2) founded the St. Helena Rugby League, which meets most Tuesday and Thursday nights at 6 p.m. at the field between the high school and elemen- tary school in St. Helena. Doc is a local veterinarian, rugby star, and avid home brewer (I know from personal consumption that his beer is excellent). He and rugby regular Bert Casten (3) recently started a nonprofit with the mission to turn St. Helena into rugby Mecca for youths who can learn the sport and benefit from teamwork, perseverance, and camaraderie. Casten knows firsthand that these values and the relationships built on the field can change lives; he got his first three jobs via rugby. While the St. Helena Rugby League is informal and some- what new, rugby and wine country have had a long- standing relationship. Even Robert Mondavi (4) was a rugby star while at Stanford University back in the 1930s. 4
NVLife_NovDec_2012
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