Time to get excited about the latest release from author Mason Thomas! The Witchstone Amulet releases today from Dreamspinner Press! Find out more about this urban fantasy and all about rugby from the author right here!
Rugby is Badass
In my latest novel, THE WITCHSTONE AMULET, the main character Hunter is a rugby player, playing on Chicago’s professional team, the Lions. Some may find this a strange choice, but when I sat down to write this particular novel, I knew from the beginning that rugby needed to play a role in the story. Partially because, being a “portal” story where Hunter is pulled from our world into a medieval fantasy world, I believed someone who played rugby—an innately physical game—would fit well in the brutal, more primitive world where hand-to-hand weaponry was the norm.
But, the bigger reason I included it was because I simply dig the game.
In my younger days, my exposure to the sport was rather limited. Understandable, since I’d grown up in the Midwest. Rugby was not even a blip on the radar then. Up until around ten years ago I knew literally nothing about it.
I wasn’t what one would call a sporty kid, but I did grow up in a very sports-centric household, which meant I was expected to participate in sports. Good for my character, I was told. I played American football in middle school and high school, volleyball in college, and a little basketball here and there, and much to my father’s chagrin, none of it excited me. I had no favorite teams. Never made an effort or was even compelled to watch a game on TV. I never really even watched the Super Bowl. I’d convinced myself that I just wasn’t a team sports kind of guy.
Then, I discovered rugby.
I was belly up at a bar and a rugby match happened to be on one of the TVs. With nothing else to do, I started to watch. If I’m to be honest, it was the short shorts and tight jerseys that brought me to the table at first. No pads to get in the way of those physiques? Yes, please.
It looked like absolute chaos to me—lots of running, tackling, bodies jumping on each other. Knowing there had to be some system in place, I set myself the task of trying to figure out what the hell was happening. I’d worked out quite a bit during the match, but then noticed the guy next to me was also watching it as well. Turns out he played the game—on the Dragons, the gay team. So, I started asking questions.
As many believe, it is not a free-for-all out there. There are lots of very specific rules and surprisingly it didn’t take all that long to work them out. Before the end of the night I was yelling at the screen, “That was a fucking knock-on, you blind sot!”
I’m a quick study.
I’ve been hooked ever since. Rugby jazzes me up like no other sport because it does for me what no other sport has been able to do—keep my interest. Now, every weekend in the fall at 8 am, you will find me drinking Guinness at a local Irish pub watching live Six nations tournaments (Go Ireland!) That is my super bowl! And right now, I’m going to convince you why you need to give it a solid look too. Below are seven reasons why rugby is the greatest sport on the planet.
- The ball is almost always in play:
Even when someone is tackled, or when the ball is passed or kicked, the ball is still active—as long as it isn’t out of bounds or there’s a penalty. This means the excitement doesn’t let up. Unlike other sports, there’s no pause in the action. - Both offense and defense are on the field at the same time
Rugby has fifteen players from each team on the field (pitch) at all times. If there is a change in ball possession, defense is right there to challenge them. Everyone is out there, fighting alongside each other. - The game is varied and changeable:
Different scenarios trigger different outcomes, like a scrum, which is sort of like a reverse tug-of-war where everyone is pushing and not pulling, and a line-out, where the ball is thrown back in after it goes out of bounds. (Looks more interesting that it sounds) These variances and nuances in game play make for a more interesting match. Something different is always happening. - The clock doesn’t stop, not even for an injury (usually):
Building on the theme that the action continues no matter what, a match is always going to be eighty minutes long (sometimes it can over a few minutes but typically not by much). Two forty-minute halves. You get all your excitement condensed into a power-packed hour and a half. That’s it. Enjoy the match, then get on with your day! - Every player on the field needs a similar skill base.
Although there is specialization and clear distinct roles, every player needs to know how to handle the ball. It doesn’t matter if they are offensive players or defensive, they all have to be able to throw it, kick it, and run with it. It is not unheard of for a defense player to score. This means everyone can contribute. - Greater overall athleticism:
With the ball in play ninety percent of the time, the clock is always going, players are in constant motion. Running after the ball, passing and kicking, tackling, scrumming…it never lets up for them. It’s eighty minutes of pure physicality with minimal breaks. The level of athleticism required for the sport is arguably greater than any other. These men and women are fit beyond belief and professional players are out before they are forty due to the physical requirements and the toll it takes on their bodies. - Decisions are made by all the players, not a single player, and not the coach on the sidelines.
Due to the nature of the game, rugby is one hundred percent a team sport. There are certain positions that are viewed as more critical than others, those that monitor and guide the action, but there isn’t one puppet master controlling the game. A rugby squad is more of a hive mind. Decisions are made on the fly, in the moment, by individual players, and there isn’t time to sit back and strategize. This again adds to the wild nature of the game, and why people new to the sport often feel it looks untamed and chaotic.
In THE WITCHSTONE AMULET, rugby isn’t just part of Hunter’s backstory, it’s an integral part of who he is. And largely what makes him a badass in this story. His skills play a strong role in the plot as he fights to belong in this strange and tumultuous world. They even contribute to the final battle. Rugby is an amazing sport, and helps make Hunter an amazing character.
Protect it at all costs.
That’s what rugby player Hunter Best’s mother told him before she died. But when Hunter surprises an intruder in his Chicago apartment, he discovers her amulet stolen. Hunter pursues the thief—all the way through a strange vortex. He wakes in a bizarre and violent world, a benighted realm on the threshold of civil war.
The queen has become a ruthless tyrant, punishing any who oppose her, weakening the kingdom’s defenses against the brutal Henerans. To survive, Hunter must depend on the man who robbed him, a handsome former spy named Dax, now a leader of the resistance that believes the queen is an imposter--a Heneran disguised by magic… who also looks identical to Hunter’s mother.
There’s no love lost between Hunter and Dax, and even if Hunter grudgingly agrees with the resistance, he just wants to reclaim his property and go home. But he might be the only one who can oppose the queen and end her reign of terror.
Buy Links:
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Mason Thomas Bio
Mason Thomas began his writing journey at the age of thirteen when his personal hero, Isaac Asimov, took the time to respond to a letter he wrote him. He’s been writing stories every since. Today, he is ecstatic and grateful that there is a place at the speculative table for stories with strong gay protagonists. Mason, by all accounts, is still a nerdy teenager, although his hairline and waistline indicate otherwise. When his fingers are not pounding furiously at a keyboard, they can usually be found holding a video game controller, plucking away at an electric guitar, or shaking a twenty-sided die during a role playing game. Mason will take any opportunity to play dress up, whether through cosplay, Halloween or a visit to a Renaissance Faire. He pays the bills by daring middle school students to actually like school and encouraging them to make a mess in his science classroom. He lives in Chicago with his endlessly patient husband, who has tolerated his geeky nonsense for two decades, and their two unruly cats who graciously allow Mason and his husband to share the same space with them.
