While getting ready for work today I had this past weekend’s Stormers vs Bulls game on. The Bulls were playing away in in their new pink strip. Yes, pink. Let’s move on.
Being from Pretoria I naturally don’t like Capetonians as a group and I know that, at least where sport is involved, they feel the same way about us. Today, however, I lost all respect for the home crowd.
Right of the bat, as the visiting team took the field, they started with what I, and I am not alone here, consider disgusting supporter behaviour. The Boo-ed and jeered the Bulls on to the field. During the 1 minute silence for the 10 rugby players who lost their lives recently they were chanting and whistling. During the match they cheered whenever they got a penalty in their favour, which is fine, but actually boo-ed the referee when one was awarded against the Stormers. Their player was blown for playing dirty and they boo the ref?
Is this the image you want to send the world of yourself? An image of ill-mannered fanatics who don’t even understand the game and who get their pleasure from taunting others on the “playground”?
Football has been fighting this for many years. Rugby has always been proud of having a more civilised crowd, despite the nature of the game. Do were really need to start grouping some of our own supporters with “those people”?
(I am all for being hostile to the visiting team. It is our way of helping. However, no sportsmanship is not on)
p.s.
My “favourite” player was his normal innocent self again. He gets, in his mind, slighted, jumps up and rushed the player to start a fight but gets bobbed back as if he is a child. Spends the next 5 minutes shaking his head and looking back as if it was the worst thing that has ever happened, the worse decision ever and it all was directed at him personally. Didn’t like it when he was doing it up north and like it even less now.
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