Force -v- Highlanders, Round 15

[Alison]

A stay, or into the draw for a stay??

Think I need to clarify with HQ!!

[Whatsdoin]

Whatsdoing,
not according to your own posts!

Not true.

[Moono74]

We sit in the General seating section and there were that many Kiwi supporters that it was like being in Dunedin. It can't have helped the guys hearing that level of support for the opposition at a home game when they were defending their try line. It's about time the Kiwi's that live here and intend staying start supporting the local team. Sorry if I offend anyone but the Saffa's are the same, even the kids wear the opposition team kit and it makes my blood boil - you live here so support the local team!!!

Unfortunately Force fans are just too reserved to counter any vocal Kiwi or Saffa supporters. It is a result of having a nanny state conservative mantra drummed into us which has killed the traditional Aussie sporting supporters ability to contribute towards intimidating visiting teams through good natured verbal jousting. We can't even be trusted to have female cheerleaders or full strength beer!

[The InnFORCEr]

We can't even be trusted to have female cheerleaders or full strength beer!

A vey sad truth

[GIGS20]

Unfortunately Force fans are just too reserved to counter any vocal Kiwi or Saffa supporters. It is a result of having a nanny state conservative mantra drummed into us which has killed the traditional Aussie sporting supporters ability to contribute towards intimidating visiting teams through good natured verbal jousting.

Incorrect, I'm as noisy as the next bloke when it comes to supporting my rugby team, assuming of course that the next bloke is a foghorn.

I regularly cameo on the Telecast shouting and screaming red-faced at my team.

This year, though I last about 10 minutes until the rugby just gets so friggin' frustrating that is sit sullenly in my seat and wait for the final whistle so I can go home depressed.

It has nothing to do with nanny state, nor an aversion to verbal jousting (I still claim to be the reason Bryan Habana had a bad game about three years ago) It's the limp and pathetic quality of the rugby our team forces us to endure.

I'm sure this will all turn around with a couple of wins under our belts, but I seriously can't see us winning again after the Reds game, and I'm worried we won't even win that one!

[Moono74]

A very sad truth

Something the Force should look at for their game day experience. Also the ability to watch the earlier Super 15 game at the ground in the members bar would be nice too. We are rugby supporters.....we like to watch rugby.....you would think that would be a no brainer! Generate some atmosphere......promote discussion about rugby between members. Gee up the supporters for the home game.

[Moono74]

No doubt Gigs20 there are a spattering of vocal supporters but certainly not the full complement of 13,000 odd that were at the game on Saturday. Of course there does need to be something to cheer on. Perhaps that's where the full strength beer would come in handy

[brokendown gunfighter]

free weed would be the go--everybody could sit there and think"shit,this is good"

[GIGS20]

Wouldn't that just make the laughter more widespread?

[jono]

Wouldn't that just make the laughter more widespread?

Food stands would love it though

[Tonkar]

We sit in the General seating section and there were that many Kiwi supporters that it was like being in Dunedin. It can't have helped the guys hearing that level of support for the opposition at a home game when they were defending their try line. It's about time the Kiwi's that live here and intend staying start supporting the local team. Sorry if I offend anyone but the Saffa's are the same, even the kids wear the opposition team kit and it makes my blood boil - you live here so support the local team!!!

I said to some Kiwi fans in front of me on Saturday night about supporting the local team and got a foul reply.. I then informed them if it was not for the die hard Force Fans they woukld not be here seeing the Overseas teams here as without the force members no rugby would be played in Perth so I told them get on board or respect us force fans... Another foul reply...Shows there intellgents..There are a few Saffas in our area with mixed holdings which I respect...One fan from NZ was really confused wears Cheif's jersey blues hat waving a highlanders flag and hurricanes socks.....

All I ask is come to a few Force games when its not your home team playing..I am a diehard force fan anfd member but also barrack for any team playing the Tards or Reds
Also a freo supporter and barrack for any team playing Colliwobbles

[BeeJay]

I'd like an honest, open, post mortem from RugbyWA at the end of this season. If they love the SeaOfBlue as much as they keep saying they do then they at least owe us an explanation as to why this season was such a disaster. And I don't mean by sending us one of those wanky mea culpa letters like they sent us a couple of years ago. Everyone sees through that stuff! They need some fan forums so we can eyeball them! Lol

Have posted something along similar lines in the thread on the open training day... re tactics and what we can deduce from Foley's post match pressers...

[BeeJay]

Unfortunately Force fans are just too reserved to counter any vocal Kiwi or Saffa supporters. It is a result of having a nanny state conservative mantra drummed into us which has killed the traditional Aussie sporting supporters ability to contribute towards intimidating visiting teams through good natured verbal jousting. We can't even be trusted to have female cheerleaders or full strength beer!

Getting us enthused by winning would help.....

[chibi]

I have no problem at all with people who live in Perth, but still support their old province. If I moved to any other part of Australia, I'm still a Western Australian born and raised, and I'll still support WA State teams; I wouldn't be able to bring myself to barrack against them. If I had a problem with those supporters who are similar, then I'd be a hypocrite.

What I am curious/irritated/befuddled about, is this situation:
I've had the same guys near me turn up to every Kiwi game for the last few years just to boo the Force. I have no idea which team they actually support, as we've been playing different NZ opposition each time. I'm curious as to whether the same situation exists in a place like Canberra, who more often beat the NZ teams on home soil, so do these types of supporters turn up at the equivalent Brumbies games? While we still draw larger crowds against Kiwi teams across the board, I have noticed that since we have a positive record against the Highlanders, we generally see less of these fans when they play here. Also, since the Chiefs turned themselves around and won a couple of titles, we have more Kiwis in attendance for their visits over the last few years; whereas originally it was mainly the Crusaders, then the Hurricanes and Blues who used to draw the bigger Kiwi crowds.

I have a mate from Southland, he used to call Aucklanders Jaffas, and hated their guts. He wasn't much of a fan of any North Island team either, but he would say that Auckland was always the worst of the worst in the whole of New Zealand. I must ask him what he thinks of Southland fans in Perth, whom I've seen in their Stags jerseys, turning up and supporting the Auckland Blues? Any thoughts from fellow New Zealanders on that?

As far as the Jaapies go, what I've noticed is that they are much more parochial to their province, and will turn up in droves to support that team in particular. They usually can't bear barracking for another SA team especially if it's one they hate (usually the Blue Bulls.) I've seen folks in Lions (Transvaal) jerseys and Western Province/Stormers jerseys turned up specifically to boo the Bulls. I remember a large contingent of them used to sit on the second level at Subi, behind the goal at the city end of the ground. About 90% of the most ardent Force fans I've sat with, are South Africans. The only time I've ever seen them waver, is when their home-town province came to Perth.

It's an interesting scenario, but in the long run, I suppose it can only truly be remedied by becoming winning brand (?)

[Alison]

It took me ten years to wean myself off the Red Rose and become a Wallaby supporter. I think it would be nigh on impossible for me to ever wean myself off the Force if I moved elsewhere!