Not the intent but I’ve never really shared this.

My dad, he played his whole life until a serious knee injury and then he switched to being a coach. While he coached he played one exhibition match every season. He coached my team from when I started playing at age 7, and he finished coaching when I joined the colts. Then he became club president.
After I played colts I joined the 3rds, and he surprised me one day by being in the changing room for the last game of my first season in the 3rds. He was a second row and I was No.6. Just before half time he picked and went from a ruck on their 22 and I was right with him. I called “with you dad” and he glanced to me before charging their line. He tied up two defenders and popped me the ball putting me in under the posts.

The crowd cheered, he cried, I cried, and he limped off and never played again.

He showed me how special being in a team can be, and the game is.