The Zen Rugger Columns

In the summer of 1995 I pitched Associate Editor MIchael Malone, and Publisher Ed Hagerty at Rugby, the idea of writing a column about the everyday dirt and grit of the rugby life. I included a sample column entitled 'The Zen Rugger' and a quick prayer to the rugby Gods. Ed said, "There's real truth in what you write," promised me $25 a column and gave me a free subscription. Three years and 34 columns later I hung up the Zenrugger's cleats. Below are listed the columns, in order as they appeared. The first column will be a permanent fixture on the site as an introduction to the work. Each month I'll highlight two new ones for you to read. I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I enjoyed writing them.

1. The Zen Rugger - Vol. 21, No. 9, October 16, 1995
2. Seeing The Elephant - Vol. 21, No. 10, November 13, 1995
3. Deny Deny Deny - Vol. 21, No. 11, December 18, 1995
4. The Rugby Paradigm - Vol. 22, No. 2, March 18, 1996
5. The Rugby Crawl - Vol. 22, No. 3, April 15, 1996
6. Goblin Town - Vol. 22, No. 4, May 22, 1996
7. Rubber Legs - Vol. 22, No. 5, June 17, 1996
8. Staple Head Jones - Vol. 22, No. 6, July 17, 1996
9. World View - Vol. 22, No. 7, August 12, 1996
10. Black Plastic - Vol. 22, No. 8, September 16, 1996
11. When Worlds Collide - Vol. 22, No. 9, October 14, 1996
12. Season of the Bone - Vol. 22, No. 10, November 11, 1996
13. Rugby Madness - Vol. 22, No 11, December, 1996
14. Chasing the White Ball - Vol. 23, No. 1, January 20, 1997
15. Contact Chess - Vol. 23, No. 3, March 17, 1997
16. To Play or To Coach - Vol. 23, No. 4, April 14, 1997
17. Mr. Nose - Vol. 23, No. 5, May 21, 1997
18. Contact chess: Rugby-Mate - Vol. 23, No. 6, June 18, 1997
19. Holy Land - Vol. 23, No. 7, July 16, 1997
20. Electronic Flies - Vol. 23, No. 8, August 13, 1997
21. W.A.R. - Vol. 23, No. 9, September 17, 1997
22. The Team Meeting - Vol. 23, No. 10, October 17, 1997
23. Boundary Breakers - Vol. 23, No. 11, November 20, 1997
24. Local Anesthetic - Vol. 23, N0. 12, December 25, 1997
25. Primal Scream - Vol. 24, No. 1, January 30, 1998
26. Stepping Up - Vol. 24, No. 3, March 27, 1998
27. The Opportunist - Vol. 24, No. 4, April 24, 1998
28. The First Rule of Rugby - Vol. 24, No. 5, May 22, 1998
29. The Laughing Gods - Vol. 24, No. 6, June 26, 1998
30. Zen and the Art of Indespensibility - Vol. 24, No. 7, July 26, 1998
31. Chasing the Dragon - Vol. 24, No. 8, August 28, 1998
32. Organize Yourselves - Vol. 24, No. 9, September 25, 1998
33. Gonzo's Prescription Medication - Vol. 24, No. 10, October 24, 1998
34. Twelve Steps - Vol. 24, No. 11, November, 1998
35. When the Final Whistle Blows - Vol. 24, No. 12, December 27, 1998