I’ve been hesitant to share this information with the public for different reasons, but the time has come to be transparent; after a ten-year hiatus, I’ve returned to the game I love to play the most – rugby.
I started playing when I was in grade nine and played all throughout high school. Additionally, I played two seasons for the city of Brantford, and was hoping to play at varsity level when I started at Brock University. I went to all of the tryouts and have a strong suspicion I made the team, however, I’ll never know for certain because it was during this time my dad encountered some health issues. Playing sports at the varsity level means never being home, essentially, and because the timing simply wasn’t feasible, I never played the game again.
Back in April, I was scrolling through Instagram stories when I saw a lad I went through high school with had posted about joining a league in Norfolk County, which is local to me. I messaged him about it, and from there I connected with the coach for the senior women’s league. I think this was on a Thursday, and the following Monday, I went to practice.
Allow me to paint you a picture. When I last played rugby, I was almost 40 pounds heavier with muscle, and I didn’t have Lyme disease. Trying to return to a sport involving utmost ferocity all these years later, weighing less and juggling a chronic illness has not been easy, to say the least, and my body has taken one hell of a beating.
I took a step back in an attempt to reevaluate my comeback. My body has been giving me ample warning that I’ve been going too hard, too quickly, so while I am scaling back after having a chat with the team, I am determined to play in a game again. For now, I’m only participating in practices, but my goal is to return to the pitch for a game.
Trying to make a comeback in my adulthood has been fucking hard, but I’m not giving up yet.
Photo by Edgar Pimenta on Unsplash
ontheedgeofeverything 