Being a Brumbies fan and a dad of two young boys, I had an interesting experience last year which made me question: when did winning in professional sport become more important than loyalty and support for your team and community?
In my humble opinion, while most sporting teams engage with the community, the Brumbies have this engagement down to an art form.
The club and players really make their fans feel like family, rather than supporters. They hold a number of events for members and non-members alike where you get to meet and get to know the players, coaching staff and back office support.
But based on the fact that the Brumbies didn’t perform as expected on the field none of this community engagement seems to matter to the press or to Canberra in general, outside of die-hard fans like myself.
This was particularly highlighted to me last year when I was trying to teach my six-year-old son that winning isn’t everything, it is about how you play the game.
Teaching this lesson really was difficult with the Canberra reaction to both the Brumbies and the Raiders losing.
There were stories of so-called fans booing, abusing players and ball boys, even players’ families in some instances. There was even a report of vandalism of a player’s car.
I am privileged to be able to be a foundation member of the Brumbies, which gives me the ability to accept invites to many Brumbies events, and it is really quite humbling to be among players and Brumbies staff in general, who are so appreciative of your support.
I am extremely honoured to be able to engage with people who in my eyes are superstars.
This year has been a real experience, with so many young players in the Brumbies squad, and the fact that their results have been pretty handy.
We have seen a real life view of the analogy ‘success brings support’. Early games really struggled to get a crowd, but with success, support has increased, and numbers at home games have really started to climb.
And despite their increased success this season, Brumbies players continue to stay around long after the final siren to sign autographs for fans.
I would like to see recognition in the press and from the Canberra community of the efforts of teams like the Brumbies in their community engagement, and thus ensure or growth in the support for the team win, lose or draw.
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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