- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
Things have changed since I last went to the rugby. I learnt this at a Reds home game, where I couldn’t believe the ticket price – but I’ll save that for another article.
So there I was, enjoying the rugby and reminiscing. Then there was a try and something caught my attention.
It was the music: they were playing pop music, blasting it over the sound system.
And it happened again. After each penalty or try or conversion, and sometimes at a stoppage, they would play another song. It was like a discotheque.
Now at the age of 33, I’m not so old that I can’t still boogie-woogie, and they did play all our old favourites. But, personally, I like to save all that for after the game, especially if we win.
[latest_videos_strip category=”rugby” name=”Rugby”]
Rugby is a separate affair, something a little bit more serious.
But I let it slide. I fully understand why they play the music – it fits with the commercialisation of the game. It’s the American influence. You have to market it. It’s an entertainment package that has to compete with other codes.
But I just couldn’t shake the feeling that it somehow cheapens the game, like the popping up and withering of franchises like the Force or the Kings. It makes rugby feel like a commodity, something to be bought and sold (that and the outrageous price of beer).
Then again, I was still willing to let it go, and freely willing to admit that on some occasions I might be a little bit more puritanical than others (except for the beer and the discotheques).
That was until the Bledisloe Cup, which I watched at home on the TV.
I caught it again – music at the breaks. I couldn’t believe it! I’d never noticed it before, I guess because of all the noise in the pubs.
Now, I know that I shouldn’t have been surprised. I’d been to the Reds game, of course. But this was different; this was a Test match, with the national anthem and blazers, and all that pomp. Surely they should have been more dignified!
Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images
I should have seen it coming. After they started slapping Qantas on the jerseys, things were bound to degenerate.
But maybe there’s still hope. If others feel the same as me, maybe we can band together and make our voices heard – that’s how the internet works.
So thinking about it, we should have a referendum. We should ask all the fans: should we play music at the rugby? Hopefully The Roar can gee up one of those online polls. I don’t know how, but we’ve all seen it done before.
Then the fans can vote. We can pose the question twice – one for Super Rugby, and one for Test matches. Different strokes, and all that.
If the majority think ‘yes’, we should play music at the rugby. I’ll be happy to button my lip, and watch the run of play.
Except when we win, and then you know that I’ll be crowing.
But if we get a ‘no’, then we could maybe take it to the top. I don’t pretend that Rugby Australia, or SANZAAR, or whatever, will listen to the petition – after all, it’s not a democracy.
But there’s always a chance, especially since corporate rugby is increasingly embracing all that touchy-feely crap.
That’s how we got music in the first place.
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.