Middle NZ: Why do some rugby players spit?

Why do some rugby players spit? Photo / File

Why do some rugby players spit all the time?

It's a question I have asked myself and other people many times over the years. It came up again this week when I was watching the news and a player spat on the ground.

It's really not nice, especially at the moment.

You don't see netballers spitting on the court, or hockey players or cricketers.

Imagine if the Silver Ferns ran up and down the court spitting all over the show.

I don't believe it's because rugby players run faster or work harder than any other sportsperson.

Because of the worldwide pandemic, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has recommended the practice of using saliva on cricket balls to shine them be banned.
Good call.

The entire country has had a lesson on hygiene since the coronavirus hit our shores. I was a hand-washer anyway, as I'm sure you were.

However, I did find myself washing my hands for a lot longer and I admit to becoming a little paranoid about hand sanitiser.

The skin on my hands suffered for a few weeks — nothing that a good moisturiser couldn't fix.

The point is that we were all made aware of the importance of washing our hands every time we went grocery shopping or left the house for a walk around the block.

At the very beginning, we were also told not to touch our faces. That was hard — but now I find it a lot easier to keep my hands away from my face.

Linda Hall is assistant editor at Hawke's Bay Today.

So what happens when someone spits on the ground and the next minute someone else is tackled in the exact same spot?

Yuk.

It's so good to see sport back up and running with full stands. Kiwi fans have come out in their droves to support our teams, unlike Australia who still have to play in front of cardboard cutouts.

And it was awful to see some overseas bars and restaurants having to close again after another wave of the virus. We don't want that.

I think we are doing well. There were always going to be cases at the border as Kiwis came home.

As I said last week, I think it should be done in waves of two-week intervals so as not to overwhelm the systems in place at the borders.

Patience is a virtue and, in the end, will help us all to recover — and we will recover — but please stop the spitting.

While we are on the subject of supporting sport, please don't forget to support our theatre and arts.

People are on stage again and they want and need an audience. Make a night of it. Have dinner out and enjoy a show or visit an art gallery. The Art Shed at Crab Farm in Bay View is amazing. Well worth the drive.

We are lucky in Hawke's Bay to have so many amazing theatre groups with talented actors and galleries full of beautiful artworks.

Linda Hall is Hawke's Bay Today assistant editor.