I'm not talking about fitness, I'm taking about attitudes. I have to admit I do knock soccer, I can't wait to get to a country where I don't have to watch it any more!!! My time in Australia was blissful and I dreaded it when aussies asked me about soccer. I even avoided TV rooms in hostels for the same reason.

Alot of commentators in the papers are noticing (there was one yesterday) how much "nicer" rugby players are, how they are a credit to the country, one was suggesting Blair take the opportunity to make the game more high profile..

;-)

Whilst I don't play soccer, I've really found it hard to watch soccer on TV due to the constant background "noise" from the sides which seems to be unrelated to whats happening on the pitch, eg the ball is being knocked around amidst all this incessant noise.

:D

You had better not watch SBS as the game is gaining in popularity. I like both games and the positive differences should be celebrated.

The following is a sample of the 7 pages devoted to England's win in yesterday's Times.

November 17, 2003

King of the Poms prepares to give Aussies a kicking
From Simon Barnes, Chief Sports Writer, in Sydney



THERE are three great international team sports in Australia: cricket, rugby (two codes) and Pom-bashing. But the greatest of these is the last and it is time we prepared ourselves for the greatest celebration of Pom-bashing since Bodyline, the 1930s cricket tour that became an international incident. That one rankles to this day and is otherwise known as the longest whinge in sporting history.

Last night England booked their place in the rugby union World Cup final by beating France - the form team of the tournament - in a gorgeous display of disciplined ferocity and rapier-like kicking. And yes, they will play the home nation, Australia, in Sydney next Saturday.

Australia, recovering from the shock of reaching the final with a team they had written off, are regrouping with all the (rather touching, really) national fervour of which they are capable. Plenty of more modern-minded Aussies had been wondering whether to barrack for (please note command of local vernacular) the Poms in the final - but that was when they believed that the opposition would be New Zealand.

It's not. It's England. And this is triggering a mass retreat into the kind of atavistic nationalism that is based not on love of the land but in a deep seated need to jeer at the Mother Country. Hardly very filial - hardly very hostly, either - but in Australia, sport matters to a degree that is strange and baffling to most English.

The English don't have a knee-jerk hate-nation as the Celts do, as the Aussies do. They are a nation more gibed against than gibing, and are at times inclined to feel a deep bafflement at the gratification they can give by getting beaten. And - perhaps more pertinently in this case - at the acid resentment they can give in victory.

Victories over Australia at cricket are a matter for historians these days. But victory at rugby is a different matter. England have beaten Australia at rugby on the past four occasions the countries have met. The chances of England winning the World Cup are very real: and can excite only a frenzy of anti-Pommery.

The World Cup began with a good deal of Pom-bashing, but it slackened off as England consistently underperformed. But England came up with the goods yesterday and that will change things. The English were feeble and forgettable on Saturday night: but by God they'll be arrogant bastards by this morning.

It is necessary for the Poms to be arrogant in order to kick-start the Australian psyche for sport's psychological warfare, and if they don't display any arrogance - they were all frightfully humble and calm in the press conference after the match - then it will be necessary to invent it.

It's not a universal trend, and everywhere you go, you can meet Aussies who believe the country should have grown out of all that Pom rubbish. But it's still there if you look: and it will be stirred up by a great sporting occasion such as this. England are boring, we will hear. England are limited, England don't play it right.

But this is sport. In sport, there are only results. England can win: and this grieves the Australian sense of what is right and fair and good and noble. So let the banter begin. If the Australians can forget the arrogance gibes, I'm sure we can agree not to resort to convict jokes. So vieux jeu.

Rugby has turned overnight into a rich man’s spectator sport. Anyone inspired to head Down Under for the World Cup final after England’s 24-7 triumph over France will have to dig deep.
All British Airways flights to Sydney from tomorrow onwards are sold out and last night there were just two economy-class and one business-class tickets available for today. The truly dedicated could, however, charter their own jet: an airliner to carry 300 people would cost about £600,000, and a five-seater half that.
The next hurdle is a match ticket. These were no problems before the semi-finals, but once Australia and England got through, they turned to gold dust. Reckon to pay at least £500.
For those who prefer to watch TV and perhaps have a flutter, England are now 6-4 on to win the title, with Australia 11-10 against. And Jonny Wilkinson is 2-1 on for BBC Sports Personality of the Year.

OzTennis:)

well yes, of course I was hurting! :D unlike many rugbyheads in NZ, I've got over it now - life goes on.

that wouldn't be radio sport or newstalk zb would it? Radio sport callers are the most rabid crazy fans there are....

anyway I made another response to you on the other thread, but to answer your question, no I didn't hurt (when NZ won lots in the past), but yes I did moan, and so did many other fans with a passing interest in rugby. The ones who said "well I watched the world cup final, but I don't see why everybody else goes so mad about rugby!"

It depends on the circles you mix in - not everyone in NZ is a die hard rugby fan - and as I expect many people will do on the weekend, many new rugby watchers will wonder what the fuss is about.

It's like test cricket vs one day cricket - I much prefer test cricket and world strongly resist any change, but as aussie have showed, it doesn't wreck the game to play it in a different style which is more attractive to fans.

I personally like both styles of rugby - but I'm just trying to explain why many Kiwis label England 'boring'. It all depends on your point of view....

i may be wrong but i think that football has become australia's biggest watched team sport.

and it is the worlds biggest game.

I don't think it is Australias biggest spectator sport.....i think cricket, and AFL hold that title. Soccer (football!!!!) is Australia's most participated team sport.

I think soccer is Australia's biggest participation sport.

It's a good GAME, shame about the culture, all the trimmings in the UK. That's what turns me off. I really made an effort to watch it here in the UK but found it impossible with all the distractions. Even the commentators in the studio in the breaks make it hard work! Maybe the Australians will show it in a better light.

It's a shame.

;-)

Badge

ah right, knew it was something like that.

the soceroos are starting to play pretty good football and as we know (we will never be aloud to forget) they beat england a couple of years ago, this will only help the game in australia, a lot of the players are based in european leagues and over the last 10 years the national team has evolved from a bit of a joke to a pretty good team, it is only a matter of time before they become a world force.

can you imagine!!!

By the time myself, Pete, Mr BP, WBB, are in our 60s, England will be struggling to retain the "Ashes" after the rampant Soccaroos triumph AGAIN...

will not know what to think, which way to turn..


Badge

Depends if you like ad breaks or not. :D The last Socceroos game which was broadcast live on Channel 7 (C7 have all the rights to the Socceroos games) had 3 ad breaks during each half. These aren't neccesarily when the ball is out of play either - very frustrating to watch.

Seeing as all the top Aussie players play in the top flight Euro leagues, you are still dealing with European/Premiership football culture and all its distractions.

I'll be turning towards our 15 boys in white as they send another boring, victory winning punt through the posts :D

they have ad's during the game? :scared: :eek: :scared:

sacriledge.

Yes! Every 10 mins or so there's a bloody ad break. Fortunately, this is only during C7 broadcasts of Socceroos. SBS & Fox don't have ads during play (they broadcast all the Premiership, CL and Euro league games).

Trying to watch the rugby has been even worse - we had 10 ad breaks during the first half of the England game on Sunday (I lost count in the 2nd half).

i suppose the bbc licence fee does'nt look so bad compared to that.

i know formula one goes to a's here during the race but then you are not really mising much!!!

Thats bad :(

I remember when ITV started putting ads in the middle of F1 races when they first took it over. THANKFULLY, they realised the error of thier ways and don't do it anymore.......