Weird names of the World Cup

While on holiday in Cape Town I read a hilarious newspaper column, the thrust of which was that the writer was in hysterics at some of the ridiculous names on show at the 2011 Rugby World Cup.

I can’t remember the writer’s name (or the newspaper title) but full credit to him for a good laugh. One of those names highlighted was that of the unfortunate Israel Dagg, a star performer this past weekend as the New Zealand All Blacks saw off the dangerous French. No, not because he was named after a nation or country, but more for his surname, Dagg.

You see, in Australasia, Dag was originally an extremely uncomplimentary term. See this from Wikipedia: “Originally a word meaning the dried faeces left dangling from the wool on a sheep’s rear end, the word dag is more commonly used in colloquial Australian English to refer to someone’s unfashionable, often eccentric or idiosyncratic style or demeanor, together with poor social skills and amusing manner.”

It’s not really ideal to have a name that sounds exactly like the term which once referred to “dried faeces left dangling from the wool on a sheep’s rear end”. Okay, so the New Zealand try machine does have two “g’s” in his Dagg, but you’ve got to admit it’s far from perfect.

Here’s another absolute beauty, Richard Wigglesworth, the English scrumhalf. This is an entirely apt name for a scrumhalf, those squat, nuggety players often found attempting to wriggle their way though the smallest of gaps. They’re also famous for chirping refs and trying to wiggle some advantage in the officiating for their team.

And the US has Todd Clever, a giant man with flowing locks who looks, well . . . far from academic (please forgive me Todd if you’re studying nuclear physics).

The New Zealanders, historically, seem to have had a flair for the dramatic in their names . . . take Joe Rokocoko, for example, or Hosea Gear, Richard Kahui, Sonny Bill Williams, Zinzan Brooke, Jonah Lomu. Sounds more like a bunch of Hollywood film stars than rough and tumble rugby players.

And then, of course, you come to the South Africans. We’ve got a bunch of classics: Chilliboy Ralepelle; Bakkies Botha; “Beast” Mtawarira; and my favourite, Bismarck du Plessis. Cast your mind back a few years and you’ll recall “Vleis” Visagie, Os du Randt; Moaner van Heerden; Piston van Wyk. Then even further back: Tiny Naude; Ou-Boet Strydom; Flappie Lochner; Tiger Devenish; Fairy Heatlie; Scraps Wessels; Lammetjie Luyt and many more.

Ah, marvelous stuff and great names from the past, many of whom did great things on the field.

What’s in a name? is a famous question asked . . . a whole lot of fun, is the answer. That’s if you’re a keen follower of the game of rugby.