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While the dust has well and truly settled on an absolutely brilliant Rugby World Cup, there is one thing which is stuck in my craw.
Last week the Wallabies returned home to Sydney Airport to a few reporters, a couple of Wallabies supporters and many travellers totally oblivious to the men in gold.
Excuse my ignorance but was there a welcome home rally organised that I wasn’t aware of? If so then I didn’t hear about it and suspect nor did many other Wallabies supporters.
Let’s assume that nothing was organised; if this is the case then it is disgraceful and embarrassing. When I saw the TV footage of the players arriving at the airport I felt disappointed and sad. Why weren’t there a lot more Wallabies fans there to greet them?
In fact why wasn’t there a fan rally in the city to welcome home our Wallabies and thank them for their fantastic World Cup performance?
You could argue that they arrived home on Melbourne Cup day, if so then a morning rally could have been arranged before the Cup festivities commenced. But did anyone even know when they were arriving home?
When Holland returned home after the FIFA World Cup in 2010 as runners-up, they received a hero’s welcome by 100,000 fans in Amsterdam. Obviously football is the national sport, however what a lift the players would have got from that support despite the gut wrenching experience of losing a final.
What did our Wallabies get upon returning home to Kingsford Smith Airport? A couple of cameras in their face and a random Wallabies supporter here and there.
Australians are used to their teams winning on the world stage, however on this occasion a welcome home and thank you for the Wallabies should have been organised.
They represented the country so well at the World Cup and made supporters very proud. I would have loved to have put on my jersey and welcomed the boys home with a big thank you.
These guys spilled blood, sweat and tears this season and deserved recognition in some way. They have been wonderful ambassadors and have embodied the great spirit of our sports people.
So ARU, why didn’t this happen?
Was Bill Pulver in the UK for the duration of the tournament? It certainly seemed that way as he sat a few rows back from Michael Cheika along with his mates Michael Hawker and Alexander Downer.
The ARU are incompetent on so many levels, so it really should come as no surprise that nothing was organised. However the ARU have really let down the Wallabies and their supporters with this blunder.
When will Hawker and Pulver exit stage left? It can’t happen quickly enough.
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.