All this sophistication of summer sport has left me with a void in aggressive all action sport. Of course, by that I mean I've been looking forward to the rugby season for the first time in about 4 or 5 years. Having played a lot of rugby when I was younger, I always enjoyed watching England play on the international stage without really feeling much attachment (obviously disregarding the 1999 World Cup win - I was there in Trafalgar Square amongst the million-strong crowd of Englishmen, to welcome the players home and present us the trophy).

What I realise now is, take as much from this great game as you can, because in a few decades, perhaps even years, I'm almost certain it will be watered down into a game about as dangerous as musical chairs. I for one had to stop playing the game after a tackle left my spine twisted and only nearly a year's physiotherapy would fix that. Another teammate had his eye gouged out and it was a minor miracle he wasn't blinded. Broken bones are expected and you regularly hear of schoolboy deaths that are, tragically, close to home. It won't be long before the Fun Police, possibly rightly, debate how constructive all this aggression actually is.

There are decent arguments on both sides, but one thing I would say is that decisions like that should be made by rugby people. It is, obviously, an optional recreation that people enjoy being wrapped up in. The team spirit is unrivalled, often overzealously displayed by hoards of young men of all shapes and sizes descending onto a bar after a game, some sporting injuries that should almost certainly be seen by a medical professional immediately, but the social aspect always far out-weighs their welfare. Rarely in any sport do you so heavily rely on your surrounding team mates as you do in rugby, the lessons learnt about trust, reliance and pushing your own physical boundaries - individually and as a group - are second to none. Getting smashed in the face, breaking your nose, having your head raked by metal studs and being trampled by the opposition and sometimes your own teammates teaches you about getting up and starting again. You face the very real threat of being hurt, and you face it with 14 others who are willing to put themselves in harms way just to celebrate with you. It is an intense feeling of camaraderie that would only by taken away from us by making it "safer"; for me, it would be a totally different game.

So make the most of it while it lasts. Soon every player will be made to wear padding, maybe even helmets and you'll be that grandfather who always chirps up mid-game saying "in my day we didn't have helmets, if you got concussion you played on, and we taped our ears down to stop them getting ripped off".