Go Sydney Roosters!

I wanted to start off by introducing myself before beginning my blog. My name is Samantha Norden. I am originally from New York City, but I have been studying at a small private university in rural Pennsylvania for the past three and one-half years. I am currently studying abroad at the University of Sydney, Australia for this semester. Many people thought I was taking the easy way out by going to a place where the people spoke English and the culture was not too different from what I already knew. Technically the Aussies do speak English here, however I still have trouble understanding the true meaning of Australian slang. The culture, especially in the sports world, is also very different from what I experienced back in the States.
 

This past Friday I went to my first rugby game where the Roosters (white) took on the Rabbitohs (red/green) at Sydney Football Stadium. I had never before been to a rugby match although I had had friends who played the sport and even my older sister was on the club team at her university.  I regret to say that I cannot really tell you what was going on half the time. I had assumed that it was similar to American football except that one could only throw the ball backwards and that the players did not wear padding. I was proved very wrong. Unlike football, rugby is a fast moving game. I was accustomed to a much more “stop and go” game where the whistle was blown about every 10 seconds. In rugby, by contrast, the plays were continuous and very rarely interrupted. It was exhausting just watching the players. It is no wonder that the after-game is such a celebration. They survived!

 Not only was the game itself different from what I was used to, but the fans were also unlike those back in the States. When I have gone to sporting events in the US, the home team usually has much more support than the visiting team, and the home fans tend to be louder and generally take over the stadium. Even when two home teams play each other, the fans of the team in their home stadium are usually in far greater numbers than the opposing fans. This was not the case here in Sydney! The Rabbitohs fans (in red and green) were at full throttle on Friday night, and at times completely overwhelmed the Roosters fans.

It was a great experience. The excitement of the crowd and the action of the game made it an evening I will never forget and I can’t wait to go to my next game!