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I was lucky enough to attend the inaugural game of World Series Rugby last night between the new Western Force and Fiji A (Warriors).
Anticipation in Perth had been high following the debacle of 2017 culminating in the axing of the Force by RA, and what most West Australian rugby supporters see as the effective withdrawal of all tangible support by RA for rugby in the west.
The night didn’t disappoint. There was a real buzz from the sell-out crowd (official number 19,600). 4000 tickets had been provided at no cost to local junior rugby clubs and the numbers of kids there was fantastic.
They are the future of rugby and we forget that at our peril.
The night started off with a short set from iconic band Wolfmother. While not really my thing, they were at least enthusiastic and did their part to create a carnival atmosphere. They were followed by a light show in conjunction with about 80 local dancers (together).
I think it worked fairly well and the crowd certainly seemed to enjoy it.
Before the game started something quite exciting occurred. The Fiji Warriors made their challenge and there was a response by local Aboriginals. Finally!
Rugby Australia take note, Australia has an aboriginal culture and we can and should take the opportunity to promote it at a televised sporting event. If nothing else, doing it for me this single act showed that someone is thinking about celebrating something that is unique to Australia.
Long may it continue.
The game started off and the crowd was happy. It was reasonably fast and there were some moments of high skill and adventurous behaviour by the players. The only negative in the first 10 to 15 minutes was the loud music blaring away. The crowd was annoyed, and I am sure the players found it a bit unsettling.
Eventually, someone worked it out and the music was toned down.
From there the quality of the game fell away a bit. The players became a bit fatigued and this being the first game of the season it showed somewhat. Having said that, the physicality of both teams and the defence was fantastic.
I was sitting in the front of the upper west stand and the hits were solid and clearly audible above the noise of the crowd. I can only imagine what they felt like to the players.
In the second half, the Warriors came back and nearly had the Force. Only some very good defence and a couple of errors prevented a Fiji win. I was a bit surprised at the Force defence. It seemed to me that they played like they had been together all season rather than only a couple of weeks.
A couple of the players only arrived in Perth this week. This is either a big tick for the defence staff, the professionalism of the players or both. Either way, it was something that I was concerned about and was pleasantly surprised.
The game was played in good spirits and the crowd appreciated the fact the rugby at this level is back in the west. The crowd was knowledgeable about rugby for the most part although the new rules didn’t seem to me to change the match day tactics too much.
Maybe that will come as players get more comfortable with the risk-taking that the new “super try” rule is trying to promote. Certainly, there seemed to be a lot of goodwill and support for Fiji from people in blue which is something that I personally found gratifying.
After the game, the crowd mostly stayed behind and gave a standing ovation to both the Force and Fiji. I think the Fijians were a bit surprised, but they certainly seemed to appreciate it.
Overall, it was great to see “next level” rugby back in Perth again. With the decision by Rugby Australia to axe the Force from Super Rugby at the same time as decisions to not play any 2018 Tests in Perth and to withdraw financial support in the forms of things like subsidising junior player insurances, we sorely needed something to lift our spirits.
(Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
This was it.
Clearly, it is a work in progress, but it will only get better from here. Bring on Tonga next week!
Thank you to Twiggy, Hodgo and the team that put this together.
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.