People sometimes ask me why I love sport so much. My response always goes back to my school (Chichester High School for Boys) playing in the county cup final. We were major underdogs, not that we thought so. The other team had their whole year group down the side of the pitch, we had two substitutes and a teacher. I have never been so adrenaline pumped in my life - it was fantastic.

I can remember 5 key moments in the match.

1. Second play of the game their linout - they win it and the ball gets thrown out to their flyhalf just in time for me to put in the biggest tackle of my life as he caught it. Not sure exactly what I did but his shirt was torn and he had blood streaming from his nose. He was not very interested for the rest of the match :)

2. Missing a tackle on their number 8 to watch him plough through our backs for a try under the posts to put them 6-4 up once converted. I was so angry with myself I did not miss a tackle for the rest of the match.

3. Getting up from the bottom of a ruck and sprinting across to the breakdown on the other side to see the ball lying out of the back of their ruck. Ran round picked it up and went for the corner but got stopped about 1 metre short. Christian Vose picked it up and leapt over for the try. 8-6 to us.

4. Our full back Stephen Robb, not a big chap, making a full length hit on their strike runner who had cut through the centre and looked in for the try. He then got up and cleared as well.

5. Spending the last 10 minutes on our try line defending for our lives until finally Andrew Budge made a tackle, the ball fell loose and I fly hacked it about 50 yards down the pitch into touch. Final whistle, we win.

But why does that mean I love sport? Well, that was about 20 years ago now and I remember it like it was yesterday. Even whilst writing this the adrenaline has started to pump. I felt so alive in that match it was fantastic. Every member of our team played as well as he could and I am proud of everyone to this day. Sports ability to take you through the highs and lows is astonishing and I LOVE IT!
Unknown "Hot Tamale" Loving - 16 years, 10 months, 19 days ago