How must Waratahs fan feel about the deciding clash between the Brumbies and Reds at Bruce Stadium in the Australian Conference this weekend?
Choosing a side must be a matter of who they hate less.
Does their traditional hatred of anything Maroon, stemming from decades of sporting rivalry, trump the ‘little brother overshadowing the big brother’ syndrome?
Do the memories of the Brumbies’ glory years of the late 90s early 2000s, with a team consisting of a healthy number of players deemed not good enough for NSW, bring up emotions such as jealousy, and to a lesser extent, anger?
Or is the constant chirping and seemingly endless jibes from Reds supporters, particularly after their breakthrough win last year, frustrating enough to bring Waratahs fan to the brink?
I can’t begin to imagine what goes on in the mind of a Waratahs fan.
After years of ‘so close yet so far’ seasons, anything is possible. But while they cannot make the finals this year, the next thing closest thing they may have to joy is the downfall of a rival this weekend.
I don’t know if it is the same up in the big smoke, but I was brought up to support two teams, the Brumbies and whoever was playing the Waratahs.
Is it the same? Or are they more nationalistic in the sense that if the Reds can’t get there, then hopefully another Australian team wins it?
I can’t imagine so, but who knows?
All I know is that I’ll be cheering for a Brumbies win at Bruce this weekend, and hopefully a few Waratahs fans will be wearing a different shade of blue as well.
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.
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