The Staff Did Not Warn Me: Reddit’s Best Rugby Meme
I did not know I had to write about the most legendary meme on the r/rugbyunion subreddit. It was W RUGBY who came to see me about an article. I told them to talk to a W RUGBY Clubhouse writer. They said that it was me.
The staff did not warn me.
What are you talking about, you might be asking yourself. Great question. To answer it, we have to go all the way back to the Men’s 2019 Six Nations Championship.
The Birth of a Legendary Meme
It might only be one Men’s Rugby World Cup cycle ago, but a lot has changed since February 2019. The Covid-19 pandemic was nearly a year away, Donald Trump was President of the United States, and Warren Gatland was still considered an international rugby coach-slash-genius. Weird times indeed.
Weirdest of all, especially just a couple of months on from France avenging Agincourt with an awe-inspiring 10-53 victory at Twickenham, is the fact that in 2019 the Men’s French rugby team were not exactly crap, but, well… French. The old adage of “I wonder which French team will turn up” was alive and well, and on the opening day of the 2019 Six Nations Championship, the French team that did turn up, was one that lost 19-24 at home to Wales.
After establishing a 16-0 lead at half-time, Les Bleus snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. It was a listless and chaotic second-half performance, helped in no small part by a ludicrous looping pass thrown by Sebastian Vahaahmahina, captain after Guilhem Guirado was substituted, and intercepted by George North for a Welsh try.
In the aftermath, reddit user u/micah_denn posted a bona fide quote from Sebastian Vahaahmahina that essentially summed up the sheer “Frenchness” of this team:
The Rise of “I Did Not Even Know” Memes
By arriving in a Rugby World Cup year, the timing of this new meme template was perfect for following the lifecycle of a new meme; being beaten into the ground like the most dead of all dead horses until everyone was sick of the sight of it. Just a few games in, the meme’s destiny seemed apparent as reddit users utilised it for all manner of hilarious pool stage incidents.
When Fijian prop Manasa Saulo was caught napping and took a bullet pass to the head in Fiji’s victory over Georgia, u/PhilSwift666 was ready with the meme:
When Andrea Lovotti received a red card against South Africa for a ludicrous tip tackle on Duane Vermulen, u/Jones641 had the subreddit’s new favourite template served hot and fresh:
Even World Rugby themselves weren’t able to escape being made the victims of the meme by u/CityoftheDamned when the cancellation of matches due to Typhoon Hagibis was dominating rugby headlines.
The Meme Peaks
It is entirely possible that this meme could have faded into post-World Cup obscurity, but for the perfection of it coming full circle in the most fitting fashion possible.
Remember, the meme was born in a chaotic match between France and Wales in which the former team conducted themselves in a suitably French manner and Sebastian Vahaamihana did something silly.
And so, it was in the 2019 Rugby World Cup quarter-finals, in the exact same circumstances, in which the meme peaked. Less than 10 minutes into the second half, France are leading Wales 19-10. And then, inexplicably, Vahaamahina decides to do this:
Well, the meme creates itself at this stage, doesn’t it? Redditor u/sonicandfffan had the honours:
The Immortal Meme
It has been over four years since Vahaamihana did not even know he was the captain, and yet this meme remains a firm favourite in the /r/rugbyunion community. Personally, I hope it never dies.
Unlike many other rugby memes that are adapted from other popular culture quotes and scenarios, this one is 100% pure distilled rugby silliness. It has no outside influence and no origin outside of rugby union, and that is simply beautiful.
I did not even know I could love a meme so much.
The staff did not warn me.
Words // Matt Perry
