Go Forward, Support! The Rugby of Life

by Rosemary A. Schmidt

Go Forward, Support! is as much a guide to life as it is a guide to rugby. A philosophical jaunt through the cultural evolution and revolution of women's rugby, the book branches out to explore matters of art, sport, science, and the very meaning of life itself. Rugby takes you to the edge, makes you feel alive, and reminds you what a good thing that is. Rugby is about giving your all when you know all may be lost - or won - at any moment. There is plenty of rugby to be found in everyday life, if you only look for it.

192 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 2003

About the author

Rose Schmidt is a writer, sometimes poet, retired rugby player, publisher, and blogger, covering the range of human experience, from art and music to science and psychology. Rose grew up in a suburb outside Chicago, attended the University of Dayton and University of Illinois, and has called the Boston area her home now for many years.

Reviews

[Caitlin Desaulniers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book!
Probably a slightly confusing read for the non-ruggers, which is why I took a star away.

[Bookishbrookeish · Rating 3 out of 5]

Part history of rugby, part rugby explanation, part memoir, part self help, and a little sprinkling of poetry - haha! This book reminded me of a kind of TED talk. Condensed, I think it would be a great talk on the lessons you could take from rugby and apply to life. A fast and easy read that I was able to pull some interesting facts from, despite not being a rugby aficionado.

[Reader Views · Rating 5 out of 5]

Go Forward, Support!” looks, at first glance, like its purpose is to inform, educate, and possibly gather new fans who will “support” the game of rugby. That’s when you keep reading and notice the tagalong, “the Rugby of Life,” which might confuse you as you wonder how your life can be compared to a sport that you might have never heard of before, let alone know anything about. After reading Rosemary A. Schmidt’s words, however, it’s clear how rugby and the game of life have many similarities. Schmidt is a seasoned veteran of the sport with an evident passion for its past, present, and future.

The history of the game in general is interspersed throughout, but it’s entertaining and light, not feeling like it’s forced on you or drawls on and on. The chapters are short, sweet, and to the point of their title, with minimal straying from the topic. Schmidt covers many aspects of rugby; unfortunately, the sport is more complex and foreign to us Americans than our favorite pastimes of football, baseball, and for some, soccer, which historically shares aspects of the game as rugby was around before the creation of American football and soccer.

The information presented is fascinating, it’s a compilation of history, personal stories, and knowledge of the game and its players related to politics and entertainment that were hot and heavy back in the 1980s and 90s. Possibly not surprising, but the topic of homosexuality/lesbians has an intimate relationship with the game and is discussed in a very nonchalant manner due to the nonchalant type of sexuality this was back then, much like it seems in today’s society. “Go Forward, Support! The Rugby of Life” contains many relevant and practical life lessons for both rugby players and players participating in life.

At the beginning of the book, Schmidt lists possible reasons why the reader may have her book, ranging from current rugby players to those who received her book as a gift. I will report that I fall in between categories as someone who is always interested in learning about new sports and how to incorporate new lessons into my life. I appreciate the time and details that the author included in her work. These made everything tie together and seem more personal/relatable. The book isn’t lengthy, just under two hundred pages, and if the information presented is retained, the reader will walk away with a wealth of knowledge of a new sport, and with it politics, feminism, and a lot of self-confidence in doing what makes you happy regardless of how others view y

[BookTrib.com]

Rosemary A. Schmidt, a former collegiate and club rugby player and now a lifelong rugby devotee, describes the rough and tumble sport in great detail and explains how it teaches many valuable life lessons.

She spends ample time discussing the unique bonding, notably the after-game parties where, after a couple of hours trying to knock opponents senseless in the mud and cold, they share in drinks and spirited camaraderie. And she devotes the balance of the book to offering life lessons and explaining how rugby is a microcosm of so many, with so much to understand about everyday life.

Read our full review here:
https://booktrib.com/2022/03/01/much-...

[Kathryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the author’s voice and writing; I found her personal stories about rugby fascinating. The short chapters made for quick reading and I enjoyed them as individual essays. While I appreciated the more philosophical sections of the book, I didn’t find them quite as captivating. I hope to read more from this author, particularly if the focus of the work is grounded in more storytelling.