The recent Rugby League “Magic” Weekend brought into sharp focus an aspect of sporting behaviour that some might argue is fairly unique in the sporting world.
Many other sports can boast fans with great passion and love for their chosen interest, but few, if any, can boast such a wide unitary camaraderie in a sport that allowed fans from every Super League club to sit in the same stadia and at the same time, next or near to each other for the whole event, without a hint of any trouble, significant or otherwise.
Rugby League can be proud of its family ethos, which can demonstrably be seen to be true.
An irony not lost on lovers of the game, who watch the brutal, unforgiving athleticism from the comfort of the stands. The sport of rugby finds its roots in football perhaps.
According to legend, in 1823 an English school boy caught a soccer ball during a game and proceeded to run down the field with it toward the opposition’s goal before he was tackled.
Rugby has come a long way since those days of infancy, enduring its own ups and downs along the way, indeed in 1895 the much heralded birth of Rugby League took place in Huddersfield, a new beginning for the game of Rugby in Northern England that would lay the foundations for the game it has evolved into today.
So what is it about a sport that is based on such physical aggression and athleticism, that can attract supporters, of whom it can be argued, more than any other supporters are able to co-exist with each other in a spirit of rivalry, yet largely based simply around a shared sporting interest, without excessive trouble and what lessons can other sports learn from Rugby League crowds?
I’m not sure there is a single answer to that question, and even if there were it would be incredibly subjective, which is why I think there is merit in the view that it is primarily a question of family involvement and a sense of belonging to and responsibility towards the club they support.
Although, it’s fair to say, crowds generally do not match up to those generated by their football cousins, but, in my experience, are still often able to generate an atmosphere worthy of the best of big game occasions, and in doing so provide the attendee with not only an entertainment experience to remember, but one that can be enjoyed safely and in the spirit of the game.
Click here for more Huddersfield Giants news
Want to read, watch and hear more? You can download the FREE Examiner Apple App here , the FREE Examiner Android App here or you can view the paper as an e-edition on your Apple, Android or Kindle device by clicking here
Want the latest Huddersfield Giants news? Follow our Giants news Twitter here
