Dear all,

We are in the middle of the Six Nations Rugby Tournament. I love it. Watching the matches has become an important part of our family’s life. Friday evening, Saturday or Sunday afternoons, few things beat a good match with a glass of beer to hand.  The Vicar’s diary at this time of the year has the Six Nations fixtures written into it. Heaven forbid making the mistake of scheduling a meeting when a match is on.

I confess I am utterly partisan. There are some teams I want to win, others I am happy to see beaten but this year I feel (as do many) for the Welsh side. For folk who don’t follow the sport, Welsh Rugby is not what it used to be. The country struggles to sustain professional clubs. Clubs cannot compete with the wages players are offered elsewhere and (whisper it quietly) many schools are turning away from the sport with a subsequent reduction in the pool of talent available. Wales have been on the wrong end of some horrific scorelines and are in the middle of an unenviable run of defeats.

And yet, listening to the pitch side commentators last weekend (former Welsh rugby stars)  I was struck by the realistic  generosity of their comments. This week’s performance was ‘better’ than last weeks. There were ‘many positives’: the team’s scrummaging was good and their lineouts were secure. For sure, other areas of the game need improvement but the team and coaching staff can work on those. The message was ‘don’t lose heart or let your morale slip. It is always a privilege to put on the red jersey and play for your country. You can always improve.’

What an encouragement those comments will have been to Wales’ young players and what an example to people following any discipline, whether in sport or music or in their career. Application, hard work, a willingness to learn and an attitude of learning from our mistakes rather than being crushed by them  can lead to success.

Very few get to put on the country’s team kit but, as Christians we have ‘put on Christ’. We don’t always live up to the expectations of others, but our Manager has faith in us. As we make our way through Lent don’t lose heart or morale. Heads up. ‘Go again.’

Blessings

Alec