Playing rugby close to the Arctic Circle is not really what masses do. The world's second most popular sport has not attracted much attention in Finland. This doesn't stop the Oulu rugby team from enjoying their fast-paced, dangerous, and demanding sport, which is demanding after the matches, too. The so-called third half-time is all about getting totally wasted and plastered before returning to their families, wives, and girlfriends.

Many Finnish men feel that modern society has castrated the Finnish male. They are confused about their role. Displays of masculinity are not appreciated, and at work not even needed any more. You just sit behind your laptop.

As a counter-reaction to this, Finnish men started to superficially underline their masculinity. A new Finnish term, äijyys, became fashionable. It means being a true man, a tough guy, but half jokingly, with self-irony. Making chauvinistic and over-heterosexual statements so that the listener can't be certain if they mean it or not. Nevertheless, being an äijä, a true man, is not politically correct at all. And it definitely is not gay.

Some of the players in the team are fit athletes who work out, others are out of shape with love handles from comfortable living. However, all of them share the interest in a tough contact sport. Rugby is their chance to be burly, beefy, brawny, true men at least during their free time. But when soft men try to be tough, it may become a comedy. And when there is a comedy, there's a tragedy, too. A tragedy about friendship and loss, set in the Northern landscape.