Australian and world sporting codes have been interrupted before with the Spanish Flu impacting sport in 1918.
The global coronavirus has gone one step further, causing Australian and world sporting codes to pause. It is our love of our sporting teams and nostalgia for the past that will always continue despite these hard times ahead.
When the Spanish flu pandemic hit Australian shores in 1918, journalist Scott Bailey writes “the bulk of Australia’s winter codes played on”.
The impact of playing on had its ramifications, though, as “The VFL season went on without disruption although up to eight people involved in the sport off the field are said to have died”.
Rugby league was similarly impacted by the flu. Rugby league historian Terry Williams writes “when you read the newspapers of the time you get an understanding of the impact the Spanish flu was having from the number of forfeits and cancelled fixtures”.
Ramifications were felt more severely overseas, though. Journalist Phil Thompson writes the World Series of 1918 between Babe Ruth’s Boston Red Sox and the Chicago Cubs “still went on as planned, fuelling the plague and infecting patrons at Fenway Park”. It has even been reported that Babe Ruth, who played in the 1918 series, also fought the disease.
The Spanish Flu and the coronavirus have had a negative impact on Australian and world sport. Fans will continue to love their sport and support their teams despite the disappointment that no sport is being played at the moment.
American journalist and author Mark Shields writes “To be a Boston Red Sox fan is to have grown up with disappointment and defeat”.
Similarly, being a fan of the South Sydney Rabbitohs has had its ups and downs over the years. Most notably the Rabbitohs were kicked out of the competition in 2000, combined with having an NRL trophy drought of 43 years, which ended in 2014. Despite our teams’ historical lack of success, the popular support for our respective sporting teams continues on.
(Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)
Despite hard times throughout sporting teams’ history, we see teams honour their past by wearing retro and throwback designs. Two of the most popular sporting codes in Australia, the AFL and NRL, have a retro round every year.
For example, the Geelong Cats released a retro jumper for the AFL’s retro round last August. The jumper included the crouching cat logo on the collared jumper, meshing the Cats’ VFL/AFL history of the 1910s through to the 1980s. The love for the past continues.
It is because of our love of our sporting teams and our desire to rekindle the glories of yesteryear that we will continue to carry nostalgia for sport in these hard times.
Will future generations continue viewing their teams’ sporting past with such nostalgia? History has taught us that fans will continue to be nostalgic for their team despite the negative aspects of the era.
When all this social distancing is over, we will see fans cheering on their favourite teams of the past, future and present.
David Viney
Roar Rookie
Cheers James. 1.3 million viewers can't be wrong and I am definitely looking forward to the games tonight. Yes the 'Sultan of Swat' could have been wiped out well before he took baseball to a whole new level!
JamesDuncan
Roar Guru
Nice debut article, David! Thank goodness the world has learnt from history with sport being shut down quickly when Covid-19 reached pandemic level. Good to see professional sport is re-starting here and hopefully the crowds come back soon too. Interesting nugget about the Babe. He was a pitcher at that point, so gaps between outings might have worked in his favour!
Tim Buck 3
Roar Rookie
Many of Souths premierships came in the days when you had to live in the area to play for the team. The northern and eastern suburbs were rugby territory and the western suburbs were sparsely populated. As the western suburbs grew Wests lost territory to St-George in 1921, Canterbury-Bankstown in 1935 and Parramatta in 1947. Wests merged with Balmain and the two best jerseys were lost.
Tim Buck 3
Roar Rookie
I've had another reply removed but cannot see what rules I have broken and would appreciate an explanation. It looks like you have no tolerance of other people’s views and opinion.
Tim Buck 3
Roar Rookie
Souths’ were the most successful club when players had to play for the team in the area they lived. Rugbv Union was played in the northern and eastern suburbs and Wests' area was sparsely populated and as they grew they lost territory to St-George in 1921, Canterbury-Bankstown in 1935 and Parramatta in 1947. Wests were always the underdogs. Games played under the old unlimited tackles could be ignored and the 4 tackle rule should also be ignored as those games were dominated by scrums and their numerous resulting penalties and 2 point field goals. The 6 tackle rule and 1 point field goals and later 4 point tries gave us the awful bomb that dominates the modern game.
Tim Buck 3
Roar Rookie
I've replied to this but it's been removed by the moder8or program so it may appear within five hours.
Tim Buck 3
Roar Rookie
Most of Souths' premierships came when Rugby Union was the main game in the Northern and Eastern Suburbs and players had to play for the club in the area in which they lived. Wests got the sparsely populated western suburbs and as they grew they lost territory to newcomers St-George and Canterbury-Bankstown. You could also ignore years before 1954 when a Grand Final was optional or before 1967 when the 4 tackle rule was brought in ruling out St-George`s 11 straight or before 1971 when the 6 tackle was brought in ruling out Souths 3 in the short-lived 4 tackle rule era as it was a game of scrums that packed down every 4 tackles. What was that scrum penalty for, Mr Pearce? Pearce was a Souths fan too.
matth
Roar Guru
Yes your right, even when telling Souths fans how good they’ve had it I managed to insult them! Sorry, just a memory slip
The duad
Guest
Spare me, Souths are no.1 for premierships, let me remind you 21 in total. We have so little at least get that bit right.
matth
Roar Guru
Well I for one will be watching next Thursday night when the Eels take on the Broncos. "Despite our teams’ historical lack of success, the popular support for our respective sporting teams continues on." Spare me. Souths still sit number two for all time premierships. Try being a Wests supporter.
Joshua Kerr
Roar Guru
I think this shutdown has only made us want sport more. It's also given us the opportunity to evaluate our lives that are normally chocka full of sport (whether that's watching it or playing it) and I think, for many people, we just can't wait for it to come back (as long as it's safe obviously, which it looks like it will be). As for the history of sport, the sports channels (especially here in the UK) have spoilt us with replays of some of the most iconic sporting events, seen in a new light with the benefit of hindsight. That reminds us why we love sport so much.