Arriving in Manchester yesterday ahead of the Super League grand final, I came across a reprint of an old World War II poster at Piccadilly Station.
“Dressing Extravagantly In Wartime Isn’t Just Poor Form, It’s Unpatriotic,” it read.
It struck a chord with me, given I had been thinking about patriotism and sport since the great league writer Dave Hadfield wrote a piece for The Mirror outlining how much he was hoping England lost to Australia in rugby union last week, and why.
Rugby league fans here in England have been celebrating the defeat all week. They’re delighted that their grand final at Old Trafford is sold out while there will be plenty of empty seats across town at the Etihad tomorrow when England meet Uruguay in the World Cup.
But they also see a victory over the rival, bigger code, as much more important than one over the Wallabies.
This sort of enmity is foreign to most Australians – it seems desperately provincial.
But is it?
Surely it is more provincial to cheer anyone in green and gold, regardless of whether you care about the sport, as if it proves something about the worth of a country.
The Wallabies winning or losing does not make Australia a better or worse place. They are 15 individuals playing 15 other individuals. Australia’s medal count at the Olympics represents nothing more than what I just wrote – the number of medals Australia picked up at the Olympics.
All the rest is just jingoism, the insecure desire to be seen as a ‘sporting powerhouse’ that is ‘punching above its weight’.
In the case of Australia’s relationship with Britain, it has always been a case of trying to prove your worth through sport to people who don’t really think sport is measure of worth.
I think you appreciate sport, even international sport, without being particularly patriotic. Just see it for what it is.
As someone who has spent a lot of time here, I understand, appreciate and agree with David Hadfield’s sentiments last week about wanting the England rugby union team to lose.
It makes sense that in Britain, which gave us our language, political system, customs – and sports – that people would attach themselves to ideas and history rather than set of colours. An obsession with winning sporting events to prove some sort of point is something that former colonies may one day grow out of, I guess.
If 18th century England had been populated by Australians, I have serious doubts they would have actually found Australia.
Me? I consider myself a rugby league person ahead of an Australian. I decide my preferences for other sporting results based on the effect it has on rugby league.
I am not completely without patriotism – I once wore an Australian flag as a cape to an AC/DC concert in Pittsburgh – but I’m not particularly patriotic. I like the Boomers and the Socceroos because they are underdogs but I don’t care one way or another about the cricket teams or the Davis Cup side.
Is that a crime? Does it make me an enemy of the state?
A successful Wallabies side was good for rugby league last week because it makes the Super League grand final a bigger event tomorrow.
But further success hurts rugby league because it takes publicity and – potentially – players from us. So, if pressed, I’ll be leaning towards Wales, where rugby union is a working class sport like it is in the north of England and whose success would have little impact on rugby league, good or bad.
Fans of both codes are converging on Manchester now. I’m about to go outside and join them. I plan to dress extravagantly.
Steve Mascord
Expert
I left.
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
Changing the goal posts LOL .I've changed nothing,proving ,you have a terrible habit of not reading posts..I will spell out one more time. England ,NZ and Australia are countries with a pro comps,they actually play each other in tests,and are competitive in the main,just like union with about 6-8 with any chance. Other countries like PNG and France with semi pro comp,Fiji,Tonga,Samoa,(Canada,USA who played yesterday) Jamaica and the numbers of countries in Europe that play matches to qualify for the RLWC 2017.That is plain for a 12 year old to understand.They are meaningful as they are playing to get an opportunity for the RLWC.There is also a regular international program in place in Europe. Many of these countries receive Govt grants such as Ukraine,Jamaica,Lebanon,Serbia .In addition the European Sports Commission provides the RLEF grants due to the expansion of the code. Added to the fact the Commonwealth Games Commission has placed rugby league on a stage 3 entree basis due to the growth in Commonwealth Countries.Both the ESC and the CG do not hand out money or make placements for fun,sporting codes are required to provide strong evidence of International matches and growth in countries. I know what you were referring to .And you want to compare the above with what the AFL is doing overseas and using the Wookie as reference point.That'll do me. The very same Big Footy site that had some posters declare Qld as being an AFL state.When the mob you barrack for achieve Europeasn Grants and Commonwealth Games early stage recognition.,then you may have an argument.At present its chalk and cheese to draw any comparison. Various Oz and NZ cities will be bidding for the right to stage the RLWC in 2017.The RLWC has a 50 plus year history of international rl.RLWCs have made money also on the last two occasions.
clipper
Guest
Talk about moving the goal posts! You have changed your original édification' that international applies to a game or contest between teams representing different countries. No specific numbers - to now one that is between countries with pro comps (although that excludes NZ, as the NRL is in Australia). Does that now mean Gaelic football is international? BTW - I was referring to the international cup the AFL conducts between many different countries, which Wookie has enlightened us with his informative articles. I think they even have a European cup.
Tricky Ricky
Guest
Stick to soccer Mascord. It's more your game.
nerval
Guest
Charming!
Ryan Meyer
Guest
Perhaps its better defined as a natural loyalty to one's own country, people, tribe, faith, or whatever. Trying to tell people its "wrong" or "immoral" is kind of like telling people sex is wrong. They may repress it, but the natural feelings won't go away. Better to embrace it and channel it in positive directions (such as sports competitions) than to stigmatize or repress it or turn it into a negative. JMHO anyway.
nerval
Guest
Why are so many people pretending to care as to whether Steve Mascord has an interest in sports other than rugby league?
kezablonde
Guest
Funny that class thing - my panel beater, real working class, been chasing money since he was a kid, worth about $80m. My mechanic similar story - $200m- both from property. Nothing to do with 'class' anymore, but one thing is for sure if you prefer chequers over chess or rap over the Blues and are never bored to the eyeballs from such a choice - that's your business.
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
Never be negative LOL.I have bagged the code for lack of expansion,underselling Tv deals,inconsistency with penalties ,the reliance on the bomb (even made a suggestion on these boards how to reduce that dependency),the lack of funding for teh Pacific Islandfs and teh b bush at times.The poor performance of boards on NRL clubs such as the Sharks(my club) Tigers,Parramatta and Titans Conversely you keep your contributions down to a couple of para,simply to do your usual snipe / hit and run .Never offering one constructive argument on as rl thread.Just to gain a minute of fame. At least I have spent my hard earned travelling to the UK to watch rugby league matches in Wales and England and have played and followed ru at one stage.Seen first hand rl in Fiji. The day I regularly go into ru or AFL threads simply to stir or snipe,when it suits and do nothing else ,then I am trolling nothing more.
clipper
Guest
...so like your usual, never be negative, waffle, but at least I keep mine down to a couple of paragraphs
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
If one bastardises the rules to make a game between two countries possible ,then that is an International.Meaningful is debatable. A rugby league test between England and or Australia and or NZ is meaningful.All with pro comps. Rugby league Internationals between countries in Europe are also meaningful,as they are playing for the right to enter the RLWC 2017. I have had the privilege of attending a Kangaroo tour circa 2003,and if you believe that had zero meaning,it confirms that clipper you are trolling nothing more.Maybe you should chat with the players involved,I did at a function in Manchester. Of course we had former CEOs of the ARU bag rl,o'Neill and now Pulver-Campbelltown compared to Capetown,and one wonders why rl fans want to return serve.
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
You waffle on clipper with the usual rubbish,and have no clue as to the current makeup of the rl demographic fanbase. It is a worn out long playing record,that went out with CDs.
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
Really clipper I see some decent growth in Spain,Italy,Fiji,Tonga,Jamaica,Czech republic,Greece Lebanon,Ukraine,Scandinavia,Serbia,Malta,Thailand,Canada just off the top of my noggin,by doing a bit of research. Perhaps a little effort on you part ,could have done likewise.Gone south LOL. Yes the poor old PNG mob,are building 3 modern stadiums ,and will be part hosting the RLWC 2017 with Oz and NZ. Notice the French rl comp has got a Tv deal with Bein. Perhaps you should look at the situation with your preferred codes,they have more than their fair share of problems.
duecer
Guest
While what you say is ture, I would proffer that equally complicit in RL's decline has been the disappearance of traditional blue collar jobs, especially in the coal industry in the RL heartlands. While there is still a dedicated following in these areas, it is not getting younger and is certainly not helped by the rise in the Chav culture who care nought for tradition.
clipper
Guest
Maybe it wasn't the miners, but it was Australians, lawlessness and unscrupulous deals with Maori that led to it, so that land could only be sold to the crown.
Ian
Guest
The Treaty of Waitangi was signed ten years prior to gold being found in Victoria.
Renegade
Roar Guru
you've got no idea what you're talking about do you clipper? stop embarrassing yourself.
Renegade
Roar Guru
No, would you if he was at the Roosters?
clipper
Guest
By that definition, the international cup they have in AFL makes Aussie Rules an international game. I think Ian is referring to two football codes that have any meaningful international status.
clipper
Guest
Agree sticks, league does not identify across all demographics, but the demographics it does identify with would be the ones that contribute to the prejudices against Aussie Rules in Sydney, hence it's low popularity out west compared with north and east. Another interesting point about the Victorians influx of Miners to NZ is that it led to the Treaty of Waitangi, after often unscrupulous deals had taken place