So, you wanna know about playing on the wing in rugby, huh? My journey with it, right from the get-go. Well, let me tell you, it wasn’t all sunshine and scoring tries like you see on the telly. Not by a long shot.
I remember when I first got put out there. Coach probably took one look at me, saw I wasn’t exactly built like a brick outhouse, and just pointed to the edge of the field. “You, go stand over there,” he probably muttered. “Try to catch the ball if it comes your way, and run fast.” Seemed simple enough, right? I figured, yeah, I can do that. Get the ball, sprint like mad, dive over the line. Easy glory.
Boy, was I wrong. The first thing that hit me was the sheer amount of running. And not the fun kind. I mean, the kind of running where you’re just busting a gut to get back and cover a kick, or chasing some bloke who’s broken the line and you’re the last hope. My lungs were screaming in those first few games. And the training! We’d do these drills, endless sprints, defensive positioning, over and over. I spent half my time feeling like I was miles away from the actual game, just trying to hold my width, as the coach would bellow.
The stuff I actually had to do, my practice, it was a grind. Let me list some of it out for you:
- Tackling practice: Not just any tackling. We’re talking one-on-one, often against guys bigger than me. Learning to use the sideline as an extra defender. I got bounced a few times, let me tell you. Had to really work on my technique, going low, wrapping the legs.
- Catching high balls: This was my nemesis for a while. You’re looking up, ball swirling, sun in your eyes, and some massive forward is thundering towards you, aiming to smash you the second you catch it. Dropped a fair few in practice, and one in a game that led to a try. The earful I got for that… I spent hours after training just having our scrum-half or fly-half kick balls up for me to catch.
- Positional sense: Sounds boring, right? But it’s crucial. Knowing where to be, when to come in, when to stay out. I used to drift in too much, looking for the ball. Got told off for that plenty. “Stay out! Hold your width!” That was the constant refrain.
- Kick chase: Sprinting full tilt after our own kicks, trying to put pressure on their catcher. More often than not, you get there just as he’s caught it and bracing for impact, or you’re taking out by a blocker. Thankless work, mostly.
I distinctly remember this one match. It was miserable. Raining sideways, freezing cold, mud everywhere. We were playing our biggest rivals. For about 60 minutes, I think I touched the ball maybe twice in attack. I was just cold, wet, and making tackles when I had to. Then, their winger got it. He was rapid. Slipped past our centre and he was away. I was the only one back, covering across. He had a good few yards on me. I just put my head down and ran as hard as I could. Didn’t even think I’d make it. But somehow, I launched myself, managed to get a hand to his ankle, and he tripped, stumbled, knocked it on just short of our line. No try. We held on to win that game by a couple of points.
Nobody really celebrated that tackle. It wasn’t a try, it wasn’t some flashy step. But for me, that was a big moment. That was when I kind of understood what being a winger was truly about. It wasn’t just about waiting for the glory moments. It was about doing your job, especially when it was tough, especially when it was just a desperate, muddy scramble.
After that, I started to approach my training a bit differently. I focused more on those defensive skills, on my positioning, on being reliable under the high ball. I still loved getting the ball and having a run, of course. Scoring a try is still the best feeling. But there was a different kind of satisfaction in making a try-saving tackle, or securing a difficult catch under pressure that stopped an opposition attack. It felt… earned. I really had to work at it, you know? Practiced my sprints until I thought my legs would fall off. Kept asking the kickers to send more high balls my way, even when I was tired.
So, yeah, that’s my experience of being a rugby wing. It’s a lot of hard yards, a lot of unseen work. You can feel a bit isolated out there sometimes. But when your chance comes, whether it’s to score the winner or make that vital tackle, you’ve got to be ready. And all that practice, all that grind, that’s what gets you ready. It’s a tough spot, for sure, but looking back, I wouldn’t have wanted to be anywhere else on that pitch. Most of the time, anyway.
