This Sunday afternoon I went to the Roosters vs. West Tigers game at the Sydney Football Stadium. After navigating through a sea of red, navy and white, I found seats near the Roosters’ goal post. I was surrounded by families and was shocked by how many young children I saw watching the rugby game. All of the children seemed to know exactly what was going on in the game, standing up to cheer for their team at the right times and expressing distress when the opposing team nearly scored. One child about four years of age sitting two seats away from me stood up on his seat and yelled, “Boo Tigers!” as he shook his thumb downwards at another fan walking by.
Not only was this quite hysterical to witness, but it also showed me how important sport is in Australian culture and how children are exposed to sport at a very young age. Being amidst the crowd of families reminded me of attending an afternoon Red Sox game at Fenway Park in Boston where many Bostonians like to bring their families to relax and enjoy some ballpark food while cheering the Sox on. Looking across to the other side of the stadium at the rugby game, however, the fans appeared to be incredibly rowdy, all of them dressed in their team’s colors waving flags in the air and chanting very loudly. Seeing this fan section reminded me more of watching the Patriots play at Gillette Stadium where young and old adults gather to drink beer and excitedly – and at times rudely – cheer on the Patriots. Although the stadium was not full, I could clearly see that the Rugby League has an incredibly loyal fan base beginning at a very young age and ending at a very old age. I was very happy to be able to attend a Rugby League game which was not only an extremely fun but also an incredibly cultural experience!
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