Rugby is not for the faint of heart

DTH Van Der Merwe, a veteran of 32 caps with the Canadian men’s rugby team, has suffered his fair share of injuries on the pitch.

“Two ankles, three shoulders, two wrists, nose and a hand – all surgeries,” said the 29-year-old who moved to Regina, SK. from his native South Africa at the age of 17.

When asked the same question, teammate Taylor Paris, a man seven years Van Der Merwe’s junior, responded “I’ve been pretty lucky. I haven’t had too many really bad ones. Knock on wood.”

He then proceeded to ring off a laundry list of injuries that seem anything but “lucky.”

Taylor Paris - Position: Wing

Hometown: Barrie, ON.

Club: Agen

“I’ve had a couple concussions, got knocked out a few times, broke my foot twice, broken hand, a lot of little muscle strains, hamstring pulls, groin pulls,” Paris told TSN.ca during a recent team photoshoot at Appleby College in Oakville, Ont., as the team prepares for the upcoming 2015 Rugby World Cup in England.

In other words, rugby is not for the faint of heart. If you play, it will take a toll. The sport doesn’t have the same popularity of hockey in Canada, but if there’s one thing everyone knows about rugby, it’s the physical nature of the game.

“It [the body after a game] feels like garbage,” explained Ciaran Hearn, a centre for Canada. “You don’t really feel it right after the game; it might be the day after or two days after where you really feel the soreness coming on. It’s hard to get out of bed and it’s hard to get moving in the morning.”

Ice baths are a key part to the recovery process after every game, with players even filling up empty trash cans to make do.

Paris says he sometimes has trouble sleeping for a few nights after an especially physical game.

“I’m only 22, but I notice it takes me longer to recover after games now, so I can’t imagine what it’s going to be like in eight or 10 years,” he said.

Most would agree rugby is right up there with hockey and football in terms of physicality and toughness, especially when so little equipment is worn.

Brett Beukeboom - Position: Lock

Hometown: Lindsay, ON.

Club: Cornish Pirates

Brett Beukeboom, a 22-year-old who has 11 caps for Team Canada under his belt, says you have no option but to be physical in rugby. Unlike other contact sports where you can sometimes avoid hits, every player on the pitch in a rugby match has to be ready for the physicality.

“Positionally, everyone has to be able to tackle. In football and hockey, there’s more finesse players that can hide throughout the game through their certain skills. In rugby you can’t really hide. If you can’t tackle, teams will target you,” he said.

The lack of equipment actually makes the sport safer, says Jeff Hassler, another young gun on the team who also plays professionally in Wales.

“You’ve got to protect yourself, which stops you from doing some of those things that can really hurt other people,” explained Hassler.

Despite all the bruises, broken bones, muscle pulls and concussions, rugby players are always ready to do battle on the pitch, making them some of the toughest athletes in the world.

TSN will be your home for the 2015 Rugby World Cup in England, running from Sept. 18 to Oct. 31.