It may have once been just a childhood game, but rock, paper, scissors has transcended into adulthood. Throughout the world, people – specifically adults – still play rock, paper, scissors, albeit a bit more competitively. With just one hand and three symbols, the language of rock, paper, scissors is universal.
The World RPS Society is located in Toronto, Canada and was founded in 1918. Its roots began in London in 1842 as the Paper Scissors Stone Club and eventually moved to its current Canadian home after a large amount of growth internationally.
London continues to hold annual rock, paper, scissors championships. This year’s championship will take place on October 4th. The grand prize is only 100 British pounds but it requires the competitors to make their way through seven rounds, against 250 contestants.
And if you think London hosts some stiff competition, it’s no match for the World Championships in Toronto, Canada. This tournament attracts players from around the globe, including Norway, Australia, Singapore and even Philadelphia.
Andre Bennett plays in the Pabst Blue Ribbon Philadelphia Rock Paper Scissors City League Championship Series and was once a part of the World Championship. He even notched a victory against one of the Norwegian competitors.
“He was supposed to be their big hope and I beat him,” Bennett said. “But nobody believed me.”
When Bennett made the trip to Toronto, he went up with numerous people from Philadelphia. He had a familiar touch of home in the big leagues, even though Bennett confesses the stage wasn’t much different that that of the PBRPRPSCLCS.
Bennett isn’t the only player culturally aware of the phenomenon that is rock paper scissors. Other members of the PBRPRPSCLCS, such as Brian Chappell, are familiar with the international game and understand how pervasive rock, paper, scissors really is around the world.
“Everybody grew up playing rock, paper, scissors so why not play what you love?” Chappell asked. “Everybody is interested in the same thing regardless of where you live.”
But there is an obvious American interest, as the USA Rock Paper Scissors League is located in Las Vegas. The USARPS holds an annual league championship that offers the winner a $50,000 grand prize.
It is clear that the sport has expanded globally, a trend that has continued into Philadelphia with the expansion of PBRPRPSCLCS over the course of the past decade.
Iacobucci said the league is extremely unique in that it is the only full scheduled league in the United States.
“There’s nobody else who does it like us,” Iacobucci said. “You will see rock, paper, scissors tournaments pop up from time-to-time but it is usually a one-off event. Nobody else is really running it over an entire season like we are over eight weeks.”
The league’s founding was as one of the one-off type events in New Jersey. Once it moved to Philadelphia, it became a full league. With the addition of Pabst Blue Ribbon as a sponsor, the league grew exponentially.
As the league continued to grow, organizers were forced to expand playing time, adding another night onto its already busy schedule of three nights a week. In this expansion, organizers branched out to varying locations in the city, garnering different and larger crowds. With locations already set in Center City, the league spread out to Fishtown and South Philadelphia.
“Now that we have been in Fishtown, it seems all the more important that we are there since there’s such a great crowd that comes out of that part of the city,” Iacobucci said.
Bennett has been a member of the league since its inception and has seen the change and growth over time.
“It was interesting because nobody really knew what was happening but it sort of formed quickly as far as like a core,” Bennett said. “It wasn’t that dissimilar as it is now. There was a camaraderie that quickly formed.”
Things may change as people get older, but for some Philadelphia residents playing childhood games like rock, paper, scissors remains a constant, even if just an excuse to go out on weeknights. The PBRPRPSCLCS consists of many dedicated players who strive for perfect attendance.
However, it’s not just about the old-timers and veterans. The expansion of the league is dedicated to those newcomers who are not only immediately welcomed into the inclusive community, but also immediately curious of the wiles of playing rock paper scissors with a beer in one hand and the other poised for battle.
“I just had so much fun I was like I want to do this again. So I did it again, again and again,” Bennett said on his first time playing. “You just kind of end up meeting everything else and this community just formed around it.”
– Text and images by John Iatesta and Samantha Kordelski.
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