Battle of the Codes
The Football Kind.
It was a successful weekend for Canberra at Suncorp Stadium, with The Brumbies and Raiders defeating their QLD opponents.
Having booked flights to Brisbane for Easter, I was part of the Brumbies’ 52 to 24 victory against the Reds; what a privilege that was! It was a wet start, but unlike Canberra, where it would have been cold and wet, Brisbane was warm and wet! I could feel the tension and emotion of this clash from the sideline; The Brumbies hadn’t won at Suncorp since 2015.
Unlike the home game, I did a few rounds earlier; I was involved in halftime rubs and the post-game chats, watched the Doc stitch a laceration in an eyelid and sang the team song better than I had the first time; the team Manager was impressed.
I’m 2/2 for game days and have been dubbed the good luck charm by some team members. (I’d be there every game if I could/was asked. But there is a 3rd physio for home games, and budget constraints mean there’s generally no room for a massage therapist at home games, let alone away games)
I took my Nephews to the Bronco’s V Raiders Game at Suncorp on Saturday night, which saw 16th place Raiders beat the 1st-placed Broncos 20-14. It’s the first time I’ve watched the Raiders live this season; they played well and deserved the win, despite what anyone says about controversial Ref calls.
Rugby Union Vs Rugby League
You could blame the weather for the low crowd on Friday night, which is usually one of the excuses heard for low crowd numbers at Brumbies games in Canberra. But the reality is, it’s a Rugby problem, not a Canberra problem.
Friday night’s fixture saw 9,702, compared with Saturday night's 31,962. The Brumbies managed 10,575 in their last home match-up against the Waratahs, an increase of the previous 2 home games in the low 8,000s, while the Raiders have been pulling in 14 to 15,000.
I enjoy watching Rugby Union over Rugby League. I find Union flows better, the tackle count of League turns it into a stop-start game, or the team will start gaining momentum when the last tackle is called, and they have to kick, and possession is generally turned over. Union can go phase after phase until a mistake, infringement is made, or a try is scored.
As a spectator, I also find the game experience much more pleasant at the Rugby Union. However, the Raiders have built some atmosphere with the Viking clap.
I don’t see a place for booing in sports, you might not like a call made by the Ref or something a player has done, but at the end of the day, they are human beings and make mistakes just like the rest of us.
I’m yet to attend a Rugby League game where the opposing team is NOT booed onto the field. The Bronco’s fans took it next level when Rapana was down after copping a knee to the head. The fans near me were yelling out for him to “get up”, “don’t be soft”, and “stop being a pussy”. I told my friend that Rapana is as tough as they come; something is seriously wrong for him to be still lying on the ground. We couldn’t see the blood pouring out of his head which the TV viewers could see. Despite this, the comments and the boos in this situation showed a lack of compassion, and it didn’t stop there; boos could be heard as Rapana was taken from the field in a medicab with staff holding towels on his head. Some say the fans were booing the Ref because a penalty was awarded and not directed at Rapana; as a witness, I feel it could have been a combination of the two; however, it should not have happened regardless. There were calls that Rapana had dropped the ball, but had he not been kneed in the head, he would have held and played the ball.
I’m not saying booing doesn’t happen at Rugby Union; in my experience, the boos have mainly been directed at the Referee or when the kicker of an opposing team is kicking for a goal, but I don’t recall ever engaging in it.
What are your thoughts on booing? Is it disrespectful or part of the game-day banter?
I’d like to see the codes work together a bit more. People are often surprised that I watch both codes. Many often feel that it’s one or the other. But why can’t it be both? I understand that memberships to both aren’t affordable for many, but what about attending the odd game to your unpreferred code here or there? (I remember a few years ago, on a doubleheader weekend, Brumbies members got entry into Raiders games and Visa Versa, although I’m not sure how effective it was for crowd numbers.)
With Canberra due to get an A-league team in the next year or 2, will crowd numbers be affected again? (I’m concerned about Canberra being able to support an A-league team. Soccer participation is high in juniors; however, when the Canberra Cosmos existed, half the stadium was always roped off, and the half in use was never full)
AFL is the code that I follow the least, but I have attended a GWS game at Manuka at least once a year. Like rare international-level sports games, people ask why I go, and I reply that if we don’t attend, they won’t return. Canberran’s complain that we never get big matches; however, they don’t sell out when we do.
Attending live events in Canberra supports the community, whether it be sports, music or other forms of entertainment; if they don’t get support in the form of bums on seats, they are less likely to come back next time.
What do you love about watching a live football game?
What would encourage you to attend a live football game?
I also enjoy the flowing nature of Union and need to get along to a few more games!
My kids are obsessed with the Raiders so we’ll go to a fair few games. I dislike the booing but my kids always join in with the crowd. The crowd always sets such a bad example for kids, I strongly discourage it as I feel it’s being a bad sport especially against the players. I ask my kids how they’d feel if they were being boo’d when they play sports.