With the Australian cricket team turning a new chapter, the Wallabies still rebuilding and the Socceroos on the rise, what does it take to win the hearts of Australian sporting fans?
For years, the Australian cricket team was seen as the pinnacle of Australian sport.
Children and adults alike knew the names and the faces of the fine players that pulled on the baggy green.
Steve Waugh, Mark Taylor, Shane Warne and Adam Gillchrist were just a few of the players that hit our televisions and radios in epic proportions during the November to February period each year.
As we look back on World Cup defeat and another changing of the guard of what was once an unstoppable side, do we place our cricketers in the gold and green at the top of the tree? Or are our cricketers now no longer kings of the playground when it comes to talking about Australia’s favourite team?
The Socceroos have staked their claim more recently. Their efforts in the previous two FIFA World Cup tournaments caught the hearts of a nation.
The Kookaburra are the only Australian team to win a medal at each of the last four Olympics. They also hold every Commonwealth gold as well as sven Champions trophy victories and a World Cup win. Yet success does not always equal favour.
On the other hand our Australian Diamonds have seen a huge increase in fan base as a result of television coverage of all games played within Australia. The Diamonds head to Singapore next month to take home the a 9th World Championship victory.
A side that played on our minds in the late 90s and early 2000s was the Wallabies, successful and full of household names, players like George Gregan, John Eales and Stirling Mortlock seemed fearless and were always well supported.
The team now has few big name stars gracing the team, but the Wallabies will be revived when heading to the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand later this year.
As Australian sports fans we seem to want to support our codes in games that mean something, World Cups, World championships or some sort of qualifiers. Teams like our Boomers and Opals get big headlines only for the FIBA World Basketball Championships, or when one of our many Australian talents is putting down points in the big leagues.
Our women’s teams have suffered due to the lack of coverage of their endeavours. The Matildas will travel to Germany a the start of July to tackle the FIFA 2011 World Cup which will continue to build their stature. The Hockeyroos are one of the most successful sporting teams in Australia, but aren’t at the fore except during Olympic and Commonwealth games.
The reality is that to be touted as Australia’s sporting team there needs to be a high percentage of both success and marketability.
The Wallabies in the 90s used the nickname to help develop their brand. The Australian Cricket team of the early part of the century had enough success that marketability didn’t become an issue. Will it take just a name for the Australian cricket team to once again revive their fortunes and our interest?
For our current day Socceroos, the success over the past years has shown the world that football in Australia is growing. Players playing in the English Premier League have also increased our interest in them and the fortunes of the Socceroos.
The biggest chance to win hearts and minds is with the Wallabies. They get their shot at the Rugby World Cup this year. A win in New Zealand (preferably over the All Blacks) will have the team firmly in the hearts and minds of Australians.
JF
Guest
Why single out the Rugby team? This article is about icons, not ratings, popular does not mean iconic. Australian Masterchef is extremely popular, it rates the house down, one would hardly describe the show as iconic however. Everyone knows that RL rates extremely well in NSW and QLD, that is not what this article is about. IMO none of the football codes are great icons of Australian sport because their reaches are limted, either by geographical or social boundaries. The baggy green is the greatest icon of Australian sport in my opinion, the national cricket team provides the greatest balance of Australian identity, historic rivalries, popular national appeal and meaningful international competition. Rugby League's national team iconic status is limited by the fact that SoO trumps NZ test series' and the RLWCsin terms of both standard of play and interest generated. Further, the limited international competition also restricts the Kangaroos from reaching higher iconic status.
Queensland's game is rugby league
Guest
People are kidding themselves if they think the Socceroos are popular. It's only the migrant community and hardcore soccer fans who are passionate about them. The rest of the Socceroo'sr support is made up of non-soccer fans who just want to see Australia beat the world in a truly international sport. Most of the people who flock to the stadium to watch the Socceroos are the first to admit they think soccer is a crap game. I'd hardly call them fans. The Kangaroos amass huge television ratings in QLD and NSW. The crowds for the matches aren't great, but they don't need to be when the annual ANZAC Test match draws far better ratings than the biggest event on the rugby union calandar, the Bledisloe Cup. The only thing the ARU has going for it is the larger international game that rugby union has over rugby league, yet even it isn't enough to convince Queenslanders and New South Wales to back the Wallabies over the Kangaroos. Shows just how insignificant the international game in rugby union is. Rugby union fans think the international game will convince rugby league fans to ditch the sport and head to rugby union. It didn't in the past, it isn't doing so now and it won't do so in the future.
Uncle Phil
Guest
Dyson, The Queenslanders may prioritise State of Origin, but that doesn't mean that the Kangaroos test matches are immediately discounted and aren't allowed to compete in the popularity contest with the Wallabies. I would say that the Wallabies have never been anywhere near as popular as the Kangaroos in my lifetime, except the extras that enjoyed one event, the last Union world cup in Aus...where a lot of Rugby League supporters like myself added to your numbers... We can even start to look at the socceroos, whom are more "popular", but how many people do you think discuss the make up of that team vs the Kangaroos.....hmmm probably about 1000 to 1.....interesting...
Uncle Phil
Guest
Steve, I think you will find that my opener agrees with you. i.e I never mentioned either the cricket or fussball teams, as they are more popular teams...... However re the wallabies you cannot just relate crowds as your yardstick. When you consider all tv ratings including regionals plus crowds, league wins...always, I guess, except the last union world cup in Aus. On the Kewell vs Ingliss walking down the street factor, you may consider if it was NSW or QLD, with fussball only a handful of players would be recognised, as opposed to Rugby League you would have quite a few more my friend. Oh and Uncle Rupert almost destroyed Rugby League not too long ago...that's some real nice shameless pumping....
Dyson Baker
Guest
u all make valid points, particully with the Kangaroos but i believe from my time living north that alot of Queenslanders would rather see State Of Origin each year then the occasional tes match. As for the Wallabies, i think lack of success has come at a cost, they still get numbers through the gates but we once got live rugby, now in Melbourne we are lucky to see it before 1.00am the morning after. If we can achieve in New Zealand i would hope that the wallabies popularity on the road. If Cricket Australia were to give the Cricket team a name or mascot as a brand, what would it be? keep in mind the ACB toyed with the idea in the mid 90's and decieded against it through lack of good names. Thanks for the feedback.
steve ellis
Guest
uncle phil say what?? i'd say cricket team still way ahead nationally.. , socceroos or wallabies.... then maybe kangaroos.. international league ?..you can only play new zealand so many times...what is it..5 times a year these days.. they can't crack the 30k crowd in melbourne or barely in sydney both wallabies and socceroos consistently get better crowds thahn that in sydney and melbourne. as for the ratings....soccerroos WC matches at 1;00am and other weird hours all outrated the heavily promoted taylor made for prime time tv 7.30pm friday kangaroos matches nationally.... but the simple test is...national recognition. just walk Cahill / Kewell and inglis/ carney down a melbourne or adelaid or perth street and see reactions.... that will give your answer but then again...league does have behind it australias sadly only national paper.. news-limteds 'the oz' .. shamelessly pumping up 'their' game at every opportunity.....
Queensland's game is rugby league
Guest
JF, Rugby union doesn't rate in Australia. Only the few rah rah fans in Australia give a stuff about the Wallabies. The Kangaroos vs Kiwis Test matches are far more popular. If you don't believe it then go look at the TV ratings.
Uncle Phil
Guest
Come on now, even kiwi vs kangaroo matches consistently out rate bledisloe cup matches. Many people love to see a great Aussie team go around, selected from a superior club competition...and over a long period of time have provided some scintillating footy. With the growing strength of the kiwis this may well explode. So to completely ignore such a pop.u.lar Aussie team (you know , icons / winning the hearts of Australian sports fans) umm...seems a little selective.
Johnno
Guest
i'd question that i think winning an Olympic gold medal is the pinnacle of basketball equal now to the NBA, the overseas players many play in the NBA, and the USA didn't win gold in 2004 and only just beat spain thanx to Kobe bryant stepping up at the clutch. Kobe bRYANT himself said it was the most speical win getting an olympic gold, after the match so 1 has to look at that. i THINK BOTH oLYMPIC OR A nab TITLE ARE Equal they ar ea re different format a 1 of knockout winner takes all games as opposed to best of 7 series. With NBA , and NHL's Stanley cup, they are both equal with olympic basketball and ice hockey, they say ice hockey is the spiritual sport of the winter olympics much like the mens marathon is the spiritual sport of the Summer olympic games.
JF
Guest
Like Basketball, the pinnacle of Rugby League is not international competition, this fact detracts from the identity / popularity of both national teams.
Uncle Phil
Guest
You've mentioned the wallabies, the kookas, diamonds, boomers, opals, matildas and hockeyroos. One team you have forgotten, the Kangaroos, are arguably more popular than all those teams put together. whyzat...?