Why is it ... (from the book of WHY)

[Picard]

First of all I didn't post this in the sport forum because I don't think this to be entirely about sport but more about culture and secondly becaus the sporting forum doesn't have the amount of traffic as the Off Topic forum that I need to get some comprehensive feedback.

Ok, I'm watching EUFA 2008 and this has been bothering me for many years now ...

Why is it that football spectators SOUND so much different than our rugby spectators. When I watch European football matches there are usually songs being sung perfectly in unison, or people chant the same chants and mostly they are dressed the same either in black coats (because it is freezing cold) or they all have the latest scarfs that they hold in unison up in the air.

Here in South Africa if you go to Loftus or Newlands what you'll see is every beer-bellied schmuck has his own version of a supporters jersey or a cap of some sporting event and if the team is being spurred on it just sounds like a CACOPHONY of God-knows-what-they-are-shouting (Vat hom Daaaawie!!! Vat hom laaaag!!!).

Football supporters seems to be much more in touch with a communal, team mentality than South Africans. Here in SA it is every supporter for himself and if their team experiences a losing streak they might just be on their own.

I think our rugby would be much better if we had South African supporters doing it in a European style.

[Devill]

First of all I didn't post this in the sport forum because I don't think this to be entirely about sport but more about culture and secondly becaus the sporting forum doesn't have the amount of traffic as the Off Topic forum that I need to get some comprehensive feedback.

Ok, I'm watching EUFA 2008 and this has been bothering me for many years now ...

Why is it that football spectators SOUND so much different than our rugby spectators. When I watch European football matches there are usually songs being sung perfectly in unison, or people chant the same chants and mostly they are dressed the same either in black coats (because it is freezing cold) or they all have the latest scarfs that they hold in unison up in the air.

Here in South Africa if you go to Loftus or Newlands what you'll see is every beer-bellied schmuck has his own version of a supporters jersey or a cap of some sporting event and if the team is being spurred on it just sounds like a CACOPHONY of God-knows-what-they-are-shouting (Vat hom Daaaawie!!! Vat hom laaaag!!!).

Football supporters seems to be much more in touch with a communal, team mentality than South Africans. Here in SA it is every supporter for himself and if their team experiences a losing streak they might just be on their own.

I think our rugby would be much better if we had South African supporters doing it in a European style.

because hooligans travel in packs and that is then a "pack-mentality" (the songs that is)

Lol....but i must say that yes it does look awesome when oneside of the Pavilion is all the same colour :)

[killadoob]

ummm is it me or you comparing rugby supporters to soccer supporters?

2 different games, 2 totally different fan bases

also 2 totally different continents

what do you want? the whole world to act like euro supporters?

explain to me how our rugby can be any better

i would say we are arguably the best rugby team in the world and we are current world champions!!! how much better do you want us to do?

[DJ...]

Yes, but how many rugby hooligans have you met or seen tv programs about?

In all seriousness though, the atmosphere at Kings Park was always amazing and I thoroughly enjoyed it! The songs would take a while to build up, but when they got going would send shivers down your spine.

Would you say the same applies for European rugby? Is it not an issue with SA fans in general?

WRT the wearing of different kits, that happens in European football as well, it is not unique to SA. We have however changed kits in rugby more than most European football clubs though.

[Picard]

Here's another excerpt from my 'The book of Why'.

If you look at football referees, if they want to give a player a yellow/red card they confront the player and with a quick snap they whip out the card high in the air for everyone to see and the player is in no doubt that he has commited an offense.

In rugby however. The referee first calls the captain of the side and then he explains his decision and almost apologetically he profers the card to the player and then points to the touchline to where he wants the offending player to go to. Sometimes in the past you also saw the referee first stopping the game to write down the players number in the back of the card. The whole impact of a snappy and decisive attitude is lost completely in rugby thesedays.

OF COURSE ... I don't want the rugby referee to be like this ...

http://youtube.com/watch?v=iKtn5xpFZlM&feature=related

[DJ...]

Because more often than not a rugby yellow card is issued for multiple infringements of which there are substantially more than football. Football has fewer infringement laws than rugby, hence the explanation from a ref often. However when a serious offence has taken place in rugby, the ref will call him over, say something like "You punched him in the face, that is you off the pitch, bye bye" - quick and easy!

And rugby refs at least demand some respect from the players. Football refs are mobbed by the ref and ridiculed every time they make a decision. It is atrocious and should be stopped. Rugby plaers just have more respect - except for George Gregan.

[Asha'man X]

I think some of it is also related to race. In South Africa it's just how it is really, I think.

For example, lots of white and coloured people in this country love soccer, but ask them which is their favourite team, and it's usually Man United, Liverpool, Real etc etc... Ask them about local teams, and they say they don't watch local soccer.

Ask a black person, and it usually is Orlando Pirates, Kaizer Chiefs, Swallows etc... They support their local favourites with enthusiasm that puts some other sports supporters to shame.

What I said above is quite stereotypical, but also fairly true. You don't see many white or coloured people at major local soccer matches. Funny thing is that at rugby matches, every race colour and creed supports the teams.

I guess it's just the unique nature of our rainbow nation. I don't think we'll ever end up being like the English supporters, our country just isn't like that. In place of mass chanting and singing, we have vuvuzelas and real life passion.

I do admit though, seeing the English fans break out all at once into a song is a stirring thing, it sends shivers down my spine.

[st0rm3rs]

Here's another question for the book ( you can quote this if you want )

Why is it that when soccer players just slightly bump into each other, they both go flying like rag-dolls, rolling in pain, grasping their injured legs.
But in rugby, you can have a 115kg flanker crash into another at full pace and still keep running.


PS. This is a rhetorical question and doesn't need to be answered.

[Ecco]

Soccer fans are greater in number, the sport is more popular and they also a lot more passionate about the game.