Rugby is the game of choice in NZ, but for some reason in my 27 years of living there I never actually got around to seeing a live stadium match. So last weekend was my first big sporting event and it was incredible, and not just because of the decadent buffet and imported Australian wines.
The match was between the home-team St Gallen and the visiting Zurich, and while Zurich is over an hour away their fans showed up in force, all dressed in team colors and relegated to their own cordoned section of the stadium. The die-hard St Gallen fans also had their designated section, prudently placed as far away from the Zurichers as possible. Apparently opposing soccer fans can be less than cordial with one another.
So while the fans were finding their seats, we were enjoying a second helping at the buffet, and more complementary wine, until the fan fares sounded and the teams were led out onto the field amongst the raucous cries of the crowd. We took this as our cue to find our seats and settled in to watch the Beautiful Game. And then the drums began...
The Zurich fans had brought with them great war drums, vibrant flags and battle cries loud enough to echo throughout the stadium. Not to be outdone by the visitors, the St Gallen fans responded with drums and chants of their own. The soccer game below almost faded into insignificance before these two mighty armies, battling each other with chant and drum, and the occasional incendiary device. But these early displays were nothing compared to the reactions to the goals and penalties to come.
At half-time St Gallen was in the lead, and while thousands of fans descended into the bowels of the stadium to fight their way towards the bars and beer stalls, we retreated to the relative safety of the Corporate Box for dessert and coffee. A few minutes later the battle resumed, and now suitable refreshed, the fans resumed their chants and taunts in earnest.
The game continued with both teams and fans putting on an excellent display, but nearing the 90th minute Zurich were leading by two goals, much to the chagrin of the St Gallen fans. Noting the tension in the crowd we opted to leave a few minutes earlier, before the angry masses surged into the parking lots. This turned out to be a wise decision as the fans later went on to blockade a bridge in protest of the way the match was reffed and the actions of the police during half-time.
All in all a fantastic night!
Rugby is a game for assholes played by gentlemans, soccer is a game for gentlemans played by assholes...
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