Let's give our Wallabies a reason to win

Thanks for trying Luke, but the crowd that's turning up on the Roar now will find your positivity as welcome as a crucifix at a vampires convention.

Luke, I think part of the problem is that fans will mirror the pride shown by the team. The rot set in with our capitulation against the Lions in the much hyped (and extremely well supported) game 3. And then our capitulation against the ABs in Sydney (my mates and I screamed ourselves hoarse at the TV when ruck after ruck we sat in front of the posts for nearly 10 minutes with the scores locked, but didn't even attempt a drop goal). And then our capitulation against the Springboks - leading up until 73rd minute or whatever, then we let in three tries. And our capitulation against the ABs (flogged by over 30 points). And then our capitulation against the ABs after leading near the end in Bled 3. I am not talking about losing. I am talking about capitulation, giving up, throwing in the towel. The Wallabies are no more entitled to support and home ground attendance than the Firebirds are entitled to prime time games or back page coverage. The QLD State of Origin team isn't entitled to fanaticism from their supporters, they earn it through themselves playing fanatically. The Wallabies are no more entitled to have 30 000 people turn up to the Gold Coast on a wet Saturday night than the Southport Darts Team. Entitlement culture is pervasive in today's society, and rugby is no exception. But let me offer a theory on what the most contemporary and compelling reason why some people (not me) find it difficult to support rugby as a national institution right now. At this moment, a nearly 40 year old woman is unemployed, suicidal and broken after being fat-shamed by a professional athlete in front of her work colleagues and castigated by a partisan press who didn't want to lose a star player. A player who has now been fined nearly $100k in the last few years and who, several months ago, said that if he didn't make the starting team then he would go overseas. A player who is now back with the team after never fronting the press to apologise directly to the rugby supporters of whom you speak, but spoke instead through a written statement. I guess the redemption story is a little too disingenuous and contrived for some to get behind, and this may in turn affect broader support for the team. Sorry to rant on what I know was a well intended piece, but I am unsure the rugby public are up for being lectured right now about our responsibilities to the team. But, for what its worth, GO THE WALLABIES!

Yeah, but we are better than that. As long as Beale is part of this team, as well the Tah enablers who engineered Cheika into top spot, I wont support the Wallabies.

I think that is MAJB's point though. The Canadian guys are clearly driven by a passion for the country and jersey and people respond to that. Rightly or wrongly, the main impression Australians get from their team is "Someone better show me the money and guarantee me a spot, or I'm out of here after this contract and off to League or overseas". No argument that it is a financial reality that professional sportsmen have to cash in while they can, but it is not easy for supporters to get in behind. Especially when it is pushed in their faces, and when what they mostly seem to get for their money is bad press, bad behaviour and whinging.

Mate, don’t pretend to be any social scientist but I have a couple of observations coming originally from the NH, where crowd ‘participation’ can sometimes be over fanatical. First of all, you can’t buy, instruct or manufacture passionate support. If there’s one thing guaranteed to kill the concept before it starts, it’s that idea. For example, there have been some cringe worthy attempts by the ARU that for me largely started around RWC 2003; the freebies left on peoples seats to put ‘gold’ into the crowd to counteract the true fervour of the oppositions fans, who nearly all turn up with a shirt or something they’ve spent their hard earned on, which almost always comes with history of previous campaigns attached. Or the bloke wandering off the pitch with his guitar pre kick off playing Waltzing Matilda and the bloke on the PA insisting you join in. Here’s the point, if you go to a party and are constantly told what a great time you’re having and how to have fun by the organiser ….well, it’s gonna flop. Stop doing it. Second, and related to the above, you can’t buy committed fans. Australian sport of all colours benefited hugely from the investment successive governments have made in the Australian Institute of Sport. Australia ‘went professional’ in all manner of sports before many others did and success got served up because of it. Maybe, just maybe, not enough fans have done the hard yards necessary to be really invested in your sport. The guys in the suits in your picture look great – but did they also scream and sing their lungs out without embarrassment and end up in a soggy mess in a post-match bar swearing ever lasting friendships to oppo fans in between digs; or turn up to the next match which required buying a plane ticket? Sometimes looking the part isn’t enough. Just a thought.

One wonders if the support of the All Blacks would be anywhere near as fanatical as it is, if they weren't number 1. We've seen their fans can turn on them quickly, if one references the disgraceful abuse the team copped after failing in the World Cup quarter-finals a while back. I have no doubt, that if we see the AB's dominance end when McCaw finally retires, then we will see fan angst on a greater scale than that we see in Australia at present. This is an unavoidable outcome, as nowhere else in the world does a nations inhabitants identify themselves as strongly with a sporting side as the Kiwis do with their All Blacks. Its kind of cute, but their fans even say "we" when they talk about "their" team's performances. if the AllBlacks fail, then the whole national morale takes a blow.

Thanks for the comment mate. Look, I think that no matter who they select we should still be going to the games and screaming our heads off, just like the all blacks, Bok and so many other teams supporters do.

hey it's Luke the author here mate. Thanks for the comment. I think a great example of players with a lot of support who can still go out there and get the job done is Rugby Team Canada. They get paid almost nothing, and in recent decades they had to fundraise to be able to even dream of going over seas/having jerseys etc. These guys still had a strong, rugby loving community behind them and that's what tranformed them into the number 19-20 team that they are today.

They have been selected to play for your country, the highest honour in any sport. Isn’t that enough to motivate these overpaid, spoilt and underperforming “athletes”? Perhaps only being paid if they win might be a stimulus and if they lose, no pay and a loss of the extensive perks. Perhaps if they performed, not necessarily winning, then they may be supported. To think that junior Rugby has been heavily levied to keep this bunch of spoilt not so fantastic pretenders, highly paid and then an article like this is written! Trying to blame the supporters, come off it.

Perhaps they should stop selecting the likes of Beale. This sort of action makes fans disillusioned. I also don't think they were widely criticised after Wales - "10 out of 10" screamed Spiro's article.