His and Her TBT: A Footy Game

Angela at The Teacher's Desk 6 is hosting a Throwback Thursday linky party. The rules are simple - choose a previous blog post and re-post it. 

Football season has started - but that doesn't mean much in our house. Neither Sean nor I are fans of American football. Australian football - aka rugby - is another story. We got to go to a game last year and Sean blogged about it last November. Enjoy!

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A Rugby Scrum

While we were in Australia we had the opportunity to attend a National Rugby League game in Newcastle. The National Rugby League (NRL) is the NFL for Rugby in Australia. Neither of us had been to a game before but was something we both wanted to do while we were in Australia this summer. 

     We went to the box office a couple of days before the game to buy tickets as you save on the additional fees that online ticket sites charge you. We also were able to pick our exact seats which you aren't able to do for a lot of events online. The prices for the tickets were quite reasonable and ranged from $25 (for general admission) to $45 for the best seats. Tickets for a regular season NFL game in America are at least $100 and can be well over $300 depending on the team and opponent. It was satisfying that we were able to get some great seats and they only cost us $45 each.

Scored a try/touchdown

We got to the game early so we can park somewhere close to the field and not feel rushed and gave us time to find something to eat before the game. I almost didn't make it in because the lens on my camera exceeded the limit and was considered a professional lens but after I promised to use the smaller lens I was allowed in. We then went to check out our seats and they were pretty good and gave us a great view of the field. 

Since we were hungry we decided to see what culinary delights were on offer at the stadium. Amanda and I are used to having several different choices when going to professional sporting events. At most events in America you can get hot dogs, burgers, fries, nachos, icecream, funnel cakes, Dippin Dots, pizza, chicken tenders, and other options depending on location. At many locations they have restuarant quality food in addition to the standard fare. At Hunter Stadium the choices seemed more limited. All I found was hot dogs, meat pies, sausage rolls, fries and burgers. I was content with a meat pie and a sausage roll and Amanda decided to get a hot dog. Once we got back to our seats we realized that an Aussie hot dog is nothing like an American one. They look different with a red skin, have a totally different taste and was not at all tasty. I'm certain that many people in Australia love their hot dogs but after having both I would much prefer a Ball Park frank or a Nathan's hot dog any day.
**Note from Amanda --- No kidding about the hot dog! That Australian dog was GROSS!!!! I get shivers just thinking about it now. Ewwww!!**
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The Knights player trying to get through the Broncos defense.

Before long it was time for the game and it proved to be one of the best games I had ever seen. Rugby is a fast paced game and nothing like American football. For example in Rugby you are not allowed to pass forward and you only get 6 tackles/downs then the ball is handed over to the other team. The other thing that is different is that the action is pretty much non stop. Once the tackle is complete the player who is tackled gets up and immediately passes the ball to a teammate and the game continues. In American football you can often go to the kitchen and prepare a snack between plays and not miss any of the action. 

      The game had a great flow and both teams were evenly matched. Both the Knights and the Broncos were more determined than ever to win as they were both chasing a playoff berth. After 90 minutes of play the score was tied at 18 all. Even after two overtimes the scores were still tied so the game was declared a draw. At no point did I lose interest in the game which was pretty impressive as I have about a 15 second attention span. Even with the two overtimes the game was over in a little over two hours from start to finish which is impressive considering an American football game would still be somewhere in the third quarter at the same point in time.

Crowd getting into the game.

       We had an awesome time at the game and would definitely attend another game when we are in Australia next. Americans may love their football but they don't know what they are missing out on as Rugby is a much more active and exciting game. I am a rugby fan and I don't think I will ever convert to American football, no matter how long I live here.
**Note from Amanda: Me too! Me too! Rugby is awesome! American football is borrrrrring!**



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Which sport is your favorite - rugby or football?


Happy Thursday,