The Roar
The Roar

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Plenty of passion in rugby's lower grades

Roar Rookie
12th September, 2012
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Roar Rookie
12th September, 2012
25

They say that rugby crowds in Australia lack passion. They say that Sydney crowds in particular lack passion.

They say it is the fault of rugby union’s administrative bodies that the crowds are this way.

I’d say it was the fault of the crowds.

There is no lack of passion at kids rugby games. There is no lack of passion at school rugby games. It’s only when you go to the big matches that the crowds are quiet.

Roarer Gravity Basher recently wrote that Private School comps could be Aussie rugby’s third tier. This is a novel idea.

They could certainly teach traditional rugby crowds a bit about passion.

Take the last game of the season in the CAS competition. Barker were undefeated all year, and had given the old foe Knox Grammar a hiding in the first round.

Knox followed that up with two more comprehensive losses, and found themselves down 26-7 before half time in the final game of the year.

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The Knox grandstands were packed to capacity for a game that didn’t mean anything. Barker had already won the Henry Plume Shield, and Knox had had a disappointing year.

But for people with passion, this didn’t matter.

The final half proved to be one of the most exciting halves of rugby of any grade all year. The passion of the home crowd brought Knox home, winning 27-26.

If you want to see passion, if you want to see rugby like you remember seeing when you were a kid, go and watch a school game next year.

You’ll discover just what passion is all about.

Or, have a look at the highlights reel from the Knox V Barker game.

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