Best Rugby Crowd you've been a part of
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Without thinking too much:
Provincial - the 1992 NPC final (Waikato vs Otago). Rugby Park was packed and pumping in glorious sunshine.
Super - 2012 SF (Chiefs vs Crusaders) - a tense final few minutes for those of us in the crowd
International - Maori vs Lions in 2005. Great atmosphere with the Lions' supporters.I've been to a lot of big tests at Eden Park but I can't think of a crowd that tops the Maori game.
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I always look back at the crowds for the 80s Canterbury Shield era with fondness. I was a teenager at the time and just getting into rugby. Some of the bigger challenges had the embankment packed and spilling out on to the field. There was a real nervous energy at the time. Good times.
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1999 super rugby final on the terrace at the brook without doubt, mates camped out the night before....the rest of us rocked up in the morning and were about 10 spots further back, nt the result we wanted but shit it was a good game and awesome day
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ABs - Lions at Wellington. And I second @MN5 s 1996 match, only slipping down the ranks due to the old piston wristed gibbon behind us who kept hitting us with his umbrella and then wanted to take us on when we asked him to politely stop.
Magpies - packed houses and wins against France and the Lions in the early 90s. Beating Waikato in the NPC 1/4 final the day the ABs lost in 07.
Agree with others that a bunch of the neutral games in 2011 were great due to the party atmosphere.
Since, unsurprisingly, @mariner4life has already gone off topic with Wendyball, I'll add the first ever Warriors v Broncos in 1995.
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@kiwiwomble said in Best Rugby Crowd you've been a part of:
1999 super rugby final on the terrace at the brook without doubt, mates camped out the night before....the rest of us rocked up in the morning and were about 10 spots further back, nt the result we wanted but shit it was a good game and awesome day
Went for a boys trip that coincided with the final opening night at the Gardies and the final game at the Brook. Was a great weekend
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2011 RWC semi v Australia, for passioned support. Not a surprise if this ranks as some people's worse, the booing of Quade etc
2011 France v Tonga for fun, loud, but reasonably carefree support. Such a fun day, had Tongan family beside me buying me rounds as I was being such a good Tongan supporter.
1996 Super 12 season at Athletic Park. Afternoons, good viewing ground, still good knowledgable crowds before DJs took over and smothered atmospheres in NZ, supporting a fun team who were exciting, capable but fragile underdogs in most big games. All the good ingredients.
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@yeetyaah you've never made it to an All Blacks game?
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i went to Ellis park for one of the best games of rugby in my lifetime. Yes - prerochial and my jersey was worn with pride inside the stadium. Braii and beer everywhere outisde in every carpark or street.. hard to beat (will repost in other thread)
Not rugby but also right up there, got to go to a El classico at Camp Nou two years ago with 98000 swinging from the rafters..fucking nuts and loved it
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Third Lions Test, Sydney 2013.
I've told this story before, but I took my AFL-supporting brother for the experience. High up on the 6th tier, the only Aussies singing the national anthem for about 20 seats in any direction.
He turned toward me at the end and said "Well I don't need to go to Wembley now. This is good enough!"
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@mn5 said in Best Rugby Crowd you've been a part of:
Athletic Park vs Australia 1996.
One of those rainy, windy, shitty days that those who don’t live in Wellington believe we have every day. Woken up by the old man to say he had tickets through work, going to the pub with him first ( bear in mind the drinking age was 20 in those days and I’d just turned 19 so he shouted everything ) and then sneaking in more booze to the ground and sitting with a bunch of GCs who had also smuggled lots of booze which was the thing to do in those days.
The ABs also destroyed Australia 43-6 which was nice. An incredible display of rugby in the worst possible conditions. The water that drizzled on us was brown from the rust in the good old Millard stand. To my utter non surprise Athletic Park got demolished a few years later.
This is the one I first thought of. We were down the end, Jonah running towards us for tries.
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England v Wales
Rugby World Cup 2015
Rollercoaster of emotions
Deafening
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Bay of Plenty v Auckland (RS), Eden Park 2004.
For most of the game we were standing at the front of the Terraces. With 25 mins or so to go we were that excited the next move was to stand on the benches. Then with 15 mins left to go there was nothing left to do but jump up and down on them. @aucklandwarlord and the then student crew had downed a keg of Ranfurly Draught just before the game - one of those games that was just meant to be. Took most of the week to get my voice back.
Got a text from @sportboy at some point during the game tongue in cheek asking us to keep the noise down
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@kiwiwomble nah man. I'm a tight ass and paying the amount they charge is too much for my liking. Might go to the one in Hamilton vs Fiji this year though.
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@bovidae said in Best Rugby Crowd you've been a part of:
Without thinking too much:
Provincial - the 1992 NPC final (Waikato vs Otago). Rugby Park was packed and pumping in glorious sunshine.
Super - 2012 SF (Chiefs vs Crusaders) - a tense final few minutes for those of us in the crowd
International - Maori vs Lions in 2005. Great atmosphere with the Lions' supporters.I've been to a lot of big tests at Eden Park but I can't think of a crowd that tops the Maori game.
geez i wouldn't be too far off those either that Maori game in the tron was INSANE. (which made the recent game at rotorua even worse)
npc - close one would be winning the shield at eden park with the terraces packed with drunken students who'd come up on a shitload of buses from the Hilly - that was a full day experience tho damn I miss those days. Getting stretchered off the field only lowlight, but also farking hilarious just a poor outcome from drunken shenanigans.opening game RWC 99 Wales Argies was pretty damn good too purely for atmos. New stadium and different experience for me to be at a rugby game with the crowd singing vs just a 'black black black' which seems to be the best we can come up with!
V Poms at Twickers was also good fun in '99
vague recollection of '87 final being pretty epic too -
I know it's a league example on a rugby thread....
Warriors vs Roosters was hands down the loudest craziest crowd I've ever been a part of. We'd beaten the Storm in Melbourne the week before, and the place was roaring. A mate and I sat in the top row of the new Eastern stand and we literally screamed for the whole game. The Warriors can blow hot and cold, but that is never a fault of the home crowd, they are farken feral on their best days
https://www.espn.com/rugby/report?gameId=174680&league=244293
