rugby and John Watson
Dec. 11th, 2010 10:15 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
laurajvI've seen bits in...more than one Sherlock story to the effect that John has the wrong build for rugby, so I thought I'd say...no, he doesn't. Really! I know a lot of people think it's all huge people hitting each other, but it's not.
I'm an ex-rugby player, and if a man John's size and shape told me he'd played, my reaction would assuredly not be "pull the other one". John (well, Martin Freeman) is 5'7". That's Peter Stringer's height, and Stringer played for Ireland! There are a number of pro players who come in at 5'5" or 5'6".
The smallest male rugby player I've ever met is about 5'4" and probably around 150 lbs. He played hooker, and was extremely small for that position, but his quick foot was much more important than his lack of size.
Point is, there's not a particular build that works or doesn't work for rugby, and Sherlock's version of John Watson is well within the (very large) range of builds that do.
Also! If you are a Sherlock writer who is putting some rugby bits into your story, feel free to ask me to take a look. I played rugby union, both pre- and post- the 2007 rules changes.
I'm an ex-rugby player, and if a man John's size and shape told me he'd played, my reaction would assuredly not be "pull the other one". John (well, Martin Freeman) is 5'7". That's Peter Stringer's height, and Stringer played for Ireland! There are a number of pro players who come in at 5'5" or 5'6".
The smallest male rugby player I've ever met is about 5'4" and probably around 150 lbs. He played hooker, and was extremely small for that position, but his quick foot was much more important than his lack of size.
Point is, there's not a particular build that works or doesn't work for rugby, and Sherlock's version of John Watson is well within the (very large) range of builds that do.
Also! If you are a Sherlock writer who is putting some rugby bits into your story, feel free to ask me to take a look. I played rugby union, both pre- and post- the 2007 rules changes.
(no subject)
Date: 2010-12-12 04:28 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-12-12 05:55 am (UTC)Oh, don't tempt me.
I just wrote a much longer and more detailed version of this post for sherlockbbc, though, because this was beginning to get on my last nerve!
(no subject)
Date: 2010-12-13 03:08 am (UTC)Whoops, never mind -- found it! http://community.livejournal.com/sherlockbbc/1420400.html
~
(no subject)
Date: 2010-12-12 07:28 am (UTC)I probably couldn't do half the things I used to do anymore even if I wanted to. But that's more to do with my physical issues than my current figure. Mind, I'd have to relearn a lot of stuff given my centre of gravity's shifted, and I wouldn't likely be a great flyer as I am perhaps a bit tall and thick -- but then, I never did get that far with my acrobatics even onceuponatime.
I sometimes wonder if the people who make such comments have never been in serious in a sport...
(no subject)
Date: 2010-12-12 01:49 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-12-12 07:48 pm (UTC)I just find it odd not to research a bit. But I like research so I tend to want to research everything. (And I still get things wrong, even so, now and then.)