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Journalist's Notes

This is not a movie, this is a true story in Chongqing!

“Chongqing people are strong, can endure hardships, are brave and never give up!”

In 2012, a rugby team composed of ordinary people from all walks of life was born in Chongqing. It was named "Dockers", symbolizing the qualities of hard work and courage to fight.

This group of people is determined to create a place for Chongqing people in the field of rugby. Therefore, they are busy with work during the day, and gather on the court at night and weekends to sweat and hone their skills.

Just two years later, they overcame all obstacles and finally won the championship in the first AFLC (Amateur American Football League of China) national finals, achieving an amazing leap from unknown to national champions.

Time flies, and more than 10 years later, although the team roster has changed several times, the "Dockers" spirit is like a flag, always flying in the domestic rugby field and remaining in the hearts of every player.

Some time ago, the movie "Rush" adapted from the story of "dock workers" was released in Chongqing. The prototype of the protagonist Liu Yonggan in the movie is the founder of this team, Liu Yuanfeng.

A group of grassroots people chasing their dreams together

Chongqing's first rugby team was born

Liu Yuanfeng, from Rongchang, Chongqing, 30 years old.

From him, we can see the shadow of most young Chongqing boys - straightforward. He speaks Chongqing dialect fluently, speaks Mandarin with a hint of "idol drama flavor", and has a silly and handsome smile. The name "Liu Yonggan" is also a very vivid pseudonym.

In his second year of high school, under the guidance of his physical education teacher, he came into contact with this sport full of speed, strength and collision for the first time, and since then he has developed an inseparable love for rugby.

At that time, there was no rugby team in Chongqing and the venues were very limited. But this did not dampen Liu Yuanfeng's enthusiasm, but instead inspired him to have bolder ideas. After entering university, he decided to create the first rugby team in Chongqing.

Liu Yuanfeng has amazing mobility.

First, they recruited like-minded people through QQ groups, and then they looked for training grounds. As the news spread, the team quickly expanded from the initial 4 people to more than 30 people. They came from all walks of life, including teachers, police officers, doctors, veterans, self-employed business owners, railway workers, college students, etc., with an age range of 17 to 40.

"Although the team is uneven and they are all non-professional athletes, we all have the same rugby dream." Liu Yuanfeng secretly made up his mind to lead everyone into the stadium.

The rugby team was officially established and named "Dockers". Liu Yuanfeng said that "Dockers" are hardworking and can reflect the spirit of Chongqing people. The team members hope to use this name to inspire themselves to overcome difficulties and move forward courageously.

Three days of training a week was an unbreakable rule. At that time, everyone used their spare time to participate in training, and they persisted no matter how hard it was.

The summer temperature in Chongqing is close to 40 degrees. The team needs to complete more than ten 50-meter shuttle runs, push-ups, sit-ups and other physical training. They also need to wear heavy equipment to carry out tactical drills and one-on-one collisions. In many training sessions, many teammates suffered from lack of oxygen during training, and even fainted and vomited.

This scene made Liu Yuanfeng sad and made him realize that the team needed professional guidance and training methods.

Just when they were at a loss, Chris McLaughlan, an American who had settled in Chongqing, came to Chongqing. Chris was a member of the University of Michigan football team and had professional knowledge and ideas of American football tactics. He took the initiative to volunteer to serve as the team's head coach, which injected a strong impetus into the team's development.

The team's training became more professional and its skills became more mature. After more than a year of hard work, this grass-roots team, which was not optimistic about the future, emerged as a dark horse in the first AFLC (Amateur American Football League of China) national finals and unexpectedly won the championship.

This victory shocked the nation and announced the rise of the "Dockers".

Chongqing kids, “stand up!”

The Dockers come back from the deadlock to win the Everlasting Bowl

Liu Yuanfeng recalled the battle, every detail was vivid in his mind.

On January 12, 2014, the finals were held at Shanghai Luwan Stadium. The Chongqing Dockers entered the final battle with an impressive record of 4 wins in the league. However, what awaited them was the powerful Shanghai Warriors.

Rugby in Shanghai developed earlier, and the Warriors not only had rich experience in the game, but also had a mature scale and excellent tactical qualities. That year, they did not lose a game and were invincible on the field.

The Dockers, who were competing in a major tournament for the first time, had only half the number of players as the Warriors, and there was a huge gap in tactics and individual ability. They were even "crushed" in height. "Before the game, everyone thought the Dockers were just a runner-up, and the players themselves didn't dare to hope for victory," Liu Yuanfeng said.

As expected before the game, the Dockers failed to withstand the fierce attack of the Warriors. At the end of the first half, the Dockers were 10 points behind and needed to complete two touchdowns to turn the game around.

During the half-time break, the players were a little discouraged, but besides being frustrated, they encouraged each other more: "Whether we win or lose, we must play with our own momentum and the spirit of Chongqing people!" This is not just an encouragement, but also a battlefield declaration of the Chongqing people.

"Stand up, Chongqing boys, don't be timid!" This shout instantly ignited the team's fighting spirit. After the second half of the game started, the Dockers immediately used a long pass attack to blow the charge of a desperate counterattack. They rushed forward like a galloping eagle, and finally defeated the seemingly invincible Shanghai Warriors with a score of 24:16, and held high the first AFLC "Eternal Bowl" championship trophy.

At the moment of victory, all the players cheered and cried, the coach was thrown high into the air, and the whole stadium was boiling. "At that time, I felt that all the hard work was worth it." Liu Yuanfeng said that this result was due to the players' love for rugby, their persistence in their dreams, and the bold, daring and enterprising character of Chongqing people, as well as their spirit of never giving up.

This amateur rugby team, which was established less than two years ago, has created an incredible miracle. This is not only a glory for the team and individuals, but also a strong proof that Chongqing rugby is going nationwide and even to the world.

Veterans return, rookies rise

The spirit of "dockers" is an indestructible monument

With the glory of the championship, the team quickly attracted a large number of new players, and the size once soared to nearly 60. However, the glory did not last long, and the old players gradually left due to realistic factors such as family and age, and the team's strength and attention weakened accordingly.

In 2015, Liu Yuanfeng once again took on the responsibility of leading a new team. However, although the infusion of fresh blood helped the team to increase its number of members, their lack of strength led to their failure to reproduce their past glory in subsequent competitions, and they even faced the dilemma of disbanding.

"I was very frustrated at the time and lost confidence for a while. The players also lost their enthusiasm, and we often couldn't get enough people together for training." Liu Yuanfeng wanted to give up more than once, but every time he stepped into the familiar stadium, he would think of the days when he fought side by side with the old teammates and those exciting moments.

These memories awakened his persistence and faith in his heart time and time again. Although there were only a few members left, he still stayed with the team.

Liu Yuanfeng's persistence touched many people and also made the old team members feel distressed. In order to regain strength, in 2021, 10 old team members decided to return together to help the "dockers" continue to pursue their dreams. Their return ignited the passion of the team and attracted many young people to join. The number of people quickly increased to more than 30 people. Everyone re-entered training and once again aimed at the national competition.

After three years of hard work, the young players have grown up. Today, the average age of the Dockers football team is about 24 years old, and a vibrant young team has taken shape.

Later, the story of the "dockworkers" was made into a movie. On the premiere day of "Clash", Liu Yuanfeng and his team members watched their story with tears in their eyes. "The movie has injected new vitality into this young team. It has given the players a deeper understanding of rugby and the 'dockworker spirit'."

Time has witnessed the perseverance and departure of the team members, but the "dockworker" spirit is like a lighthouse, always illuminating the team's way forward.

Liu Yuanfeng said that he would continue to lead the team as long as his body allowed. "Our goal is to play on more courts and show the tenacity and courage of Chongqing people." The determination in Liu Yuanfeng's eyes was the same as when he first formed the team.

In the past 12 years, rugby has left a deep mark in his life.

Hualong.com Wu Lishuang, Wang Xurui, Long Yan (internship)/Text

Respondent/Photo

Chen Yi, Luo Jie, Lin Jingang (Internship)/Video

Zhai Haoyu/late

Xian Junyi/Art Editor

Lin Nan/Host