Which country do you support in sporting matters?

[Karen S-D]

My (Australian) husband and I were having this conversation the other day and I thought it may be an interesting question to pose:

 

For those of you who have moved to Australia, do you still support England in the cricket, rugby etc. or now that you have relocated do you support your country of residence? Was this an immediate thing for you or when you had been settled a few years?

 

My husband has been here in England 10 years and his late Father was English. He watches cricket and rugby league and supports Australia, but will go for England against any other team. Recently, Wigan Rugby League, the local team we support (and he has held season tickets for) were playing South Sydney Rabbitohs and although it was a club match and not a national thing I could tell he felt torn between supporting his local team and a team that were (mainly) Australian!

 

I'm not a big sports fan really but when we move to Adelaide I could see myself still supporting England, at least until I become an Australian citizen. It might feel a bit wrong still going for England after that? But then again I wouldn't want to just abandon my roots?

 

Discuss!

[snifter]

I still support England in the sports I enjoy to watch. Things like soccer I couldn't really care and never really 'supported' them anyways IYKWIM. But then I have a soft spot for some Spanish sports teams and also some Dutch.

 

I will always cheer for England in RU. Hubby doesn't mind England doing well in RU so long as they are not playing Australia

 

I was happy to get behind the Aussies in the cricket once it got to the knockout stages and was happy to see them win.

 

Hubby was with me for 8 years in the UK and it was only during the Olympics when he was cheering for a heap of GB cyclists alongside the Aussie ones he really ever supported England in any other sport (cycling before this was about all he did). He cheered on many other GB atheletes during both the Olympic and Paralympic games. He was really proud of how well GB did.

 

He will never ever find even a single breath to support England in cricket in any shape or form, not for one second in all the years he lived there did he ever waver or stop cheering on the Aussies. He wants the English team blown apart by the Aussie bowlers and then smashed round the oval by the Aus batsmen. He doesn't want a close game or anything like that, he simply wants England to lose and by the biggest possible margin possible. The Ashes are always interesting in our house thats for sure

 

I don't overthink it. I may support more Aus teams the longer I am here but I also still enjoy my homegrown teams I have more of a history with. I feel a bit out of the loop with England RU atm but its helped having Foxtel and being able to see the 6 Nations and other things. Aus citizenship won't change who I support I don't think. Its not the deciding factor for me.

[Karen S-D]

He will never ever find even a single breath to support England in cricket in any shape or form, not for one second in all the years he lived there did he ever waver or stop cheering on the Aussies. He wants the English team blown apart by the Aussie bowlers and then smashed round the oval by the Aus batsmen. He doesn't want a close game or anything like that, he simply wants England to lose and by the biggest possible margin possible. The Ashes are always interesting in our house thats for sure

 

This bit made me chuckle...I can certainly identify with that!

[Guest Guest14361]

From day 1, 24 years ago, green and gold ever since

[jtct]

Australia in everything since the day we arrived!

[Diane]

England in everything; the Socceroos in the Asian Cup and any world cup games where they weren't playing England; any Adelaide team against any from anywhere else in Australia, but never the Australian cricket team, even if I live here for the next 40 years, while they still have players like Brad Haddin showing their arrogance on the field!

 

Oh and Scotland, Ireland and Wales against the French every time (in RU).

[NicF]

I don't think you really consciously choose who to support - it just kind of happens. When I watch an international match of any sort I just find myself wanting one team or the other to win without really thinking about why. I very much didn't want the Aussies to win when they were playing the warm up matches for the ODI World Cup. I didn't decide it I just felt that way and couldn't help how I felt. However once it came to the World Cup itself I found myself caring less and less about how the England team were doing. I actually wanted India to beat Australia in the semis as I found I have a bit of a soft spot for the India team. No idea why really as I've never been there but I have worked with a few people from India so maybe the connection came from there. I would say at the moment I am neither here or there when it comes to the Aussies in any kind of sport, but I don't feel particularly aligned to England and the UK either.

 

Having said that if South Australia, or a South Australian team are playing in any kind of match I find myself really wanting them to win. I'm pretty sure ai would support an SA team against a UK one any day. I've also found myself to be quite the crows supporter, although I will also barrack for Port as long as they are not playing the crows. And I've become quite the Norwood supporter in the SANFL.

[NicF]

England in everything; the Socceroos in the Asian Cup and any world cup games where they weren't playing England; any Adelaide team against any from anywhere else in Australia, but never the Australian cricket team, even if I live here for the next 40 years, while they still have players like Brad Haddin showing their arrogance on the field!

 

Oh and Scotland, Ireland and Wales against the French every time (in RU).

 

One of the reasons I don't want the Aussie cricket team to win is because of the arrogance of some (most) of the players. I do like Steve Smith though. He seems like a very nice young lad.

[Anne B]

England in everything; the Socceroos in the Asian Cup and any world cup games where they weren't playing England; any Adelaide team against any from anywhere else in Australia, but never the Australian cricket team, even if I live here for the next 40 years, while they still have players like Brad Haddin showing their arrogance on the field!

 

Oh and Scotland, Ireland and Wales against the French every time (in RU).

 

Totally agree - I can't stand the current Australian cricket team, they are so arrogant. Will never be able to support them, I was cheering on India and NZ this time round. Love the Socceroos though, really enjoyed it when they won the Asian Cup. I don't hate the French at Rugby, but I still remember with great fondness the Rugby World Cup 2003 when England beat Australia in Sydney in the final (with the drop goal from Jonny Wilkinson)!! Absolute magic! My Australian husband had gone down the pub (in England) to watch the match with a fellow Aussie - apparently the England fans at the pub felt so sorry for them they bought them drinks at the end of the match!

[Diane]

.... I still remember with great fondness the Rugby World Cup 2003 when England beat Australia in Sydney in the final (with the drop goal from Jonny Wilkinson)!! Absolute magic! My Australian husband had gone down the pub (in England) to watch the match with a fellow Aussie - apparently the England fans at the pub felt so sorry for them they bought them drinks at the end of the match!

 

One of my all time favourite sporting moments, that. Could watch it again and again and again and again!

[spanners]

Wasn't that the Norman Tebbit test? He thought UK immigrants should support the UK teams or (to paraphrase) piss off back to where they came from. Well, I thought I'd never ever ever ever agree with him but I have to say I do. I live here, my kids are now more Aussie than English so yes, support the national team or 'piss off to where you came from'.

[Guest Guest14361]

Every time the ashes is played here the TV commentators mention about the travelling supporters from the UK, most of them live in australia....

[Diane]

Every time the ashes is played here the TV commentators mention about the travelling supporters from the UK, most of them live in australia....

 

That's because the Barmy Army have a reputation (a well-earned one too) of being the most supportive group of fans possibly in the world, whether their team is winning or losing, and Australian commentators generally don't get that as Australian fans are notorious for getting up and leaving when their team looks like it's going to lose a match (not specifically talking cricket here, but it's rife in AFL)

[Keith & Linda]

One of my all time favourite sporting moments, that. Could watch it again and again and again and again!

 

Yep, he certainly got the women watching the game and getting hot under the collar for more than one reason, especially at my household. Linda had his poster (from a UK newspaper) up in the kitchen (just proving that's where women belong) until it faded and dropped apart.

[HEAPS GOOD !!!]

Green and gold all the way since we landed in this awesome country some 7 years ago ( update coming soon )

 

Got abused by England fans at The Oval during the Ashes, but Mitch Johnson put them back in their box.

 

I go mad for netball here, what a game those girls are as hard as nails.

 

I get my fair share of abuse for following the Aussies, but this is home.

 

HG

[jtct]

Why is spirited determination and confidence seen as arrogance when its Australia playing? I've seen the way the Brits taunt the Aussies and its not friendly banter

 

You may sigh and say 'it's only a game' but to an Aussie its a heck of a lot more than that - its LIFE AND DEATH

This is a proud sporting nation and I'm an Aussie now (well nearly, this time next year I hope to be a citizen).

 

 

(exit, run, take cover till the dust settles)

[Tamara (Homes Down Under)]

Brilliant thread!

We were having this exact conversation a week or so ago when we went to the Australia / Pakistan cricket game at the Adelaide oval.

 

The conversation went this way...If you had told me a few years ago (before arrival) that I would be supporting an Australian cricket team at the Adelaide oval surrounded by the bogan chant AUSSIE AUSSIE AUSSIE I would have said that you were mad.

Now it's Australia across the board...cricket, rugby, Olympics.

[Diane]

Why is spirited determination and confidence seen as arrogance when its Australia playing? I've seen the way the Brits taunt the Aussies and its not friendly banter

 

Looks like I'm not the only one put off by the behaviour of the Aussie cricket team http://www.foxsports.com.au/cricket/icc-world-cup-2015/cricket-world-cup-2015-australias-triumph-inspires-respect-but-no-love-after-our-boys-antics/story-e6frf3ju-1227286687232

[Karen S-D]

I have to say, and this is just my opinion and I may be guilty of making some generalisations, in my experience I think the main difference between Australian and English fans is that I think the English fans cope better with defeat (they may be more used to losing!), tend to take themselves less seriously and can take the p*ss out of themselves a little more than the Aussies. I love Australia and the Aussies (I married one!), and this is just my observation, not meant as a criticism, so please bear that in mind before anyone takes offence!

[Lazy Cow]

We go for Australia.

 

It's our home, we are proud to be Australian, and we want the rest of the world to recognise our magnificence lol!

 

Our kids also go for Australia, but I wonder whether (assuming they're here) grand kids would support England?

 

Do you think that immigrants like us - eager to be part of our adoptive country - are more likely to follow our new country, whereas the generations that follow would be more likely to support the old country? Perhaps to be a bit different from their friends, or show where their family originated from...?

 

LC

[Johnny Kash]

good thread

 

Ive got a lot of time for the Socceroos and Adelaide United and cheer for them but for me I still support England/UK teams all the way in all sports.

 

As mentioned by others the Aussie cricket team are just wallopers and do themselves no favours.

 

As for those who moved here and immediately switched allegiances to Australia in all sports over UK I find that strange. You don't just change your team - what happens if your job takes you to Azerbaijan, do you switch again to them.?? I wouldnt think the Aussies would respect that either.

 

Each to their own though.

[mydearboy]

Wales in every single sport, will never change that!