English rugby union expert gushes at his first State of Origin game live

[azif]

State of origin is becoming a global event now & is making headlines all over the world, not just here in Australia where it is the nations biggest sporting series.

Rugby Union folk ( certainly pommy ones ) are usually pretty dismissive of league & anything to do with it , but our great show case is changing perceptions & cutting through like never before

Origin in London in front of 90,000 people at Wembley or 80,000 at Old Trafford in Manchester would be just another bucket list event for fans to attend , the time difference would be an issue but , would be simply amazing.

The Kiwis are literally begging for one over there at Eden park ,with 50,000 in attendance guaranteed & the NRL has said it will happen sometime in the next 5 years





Origin
its an industry all on its own.



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Before the mayhem began, they played a tune inside the MCG which perfectly set the tone for what was to follow – ‘Let’s go to war’. It summed up the appeal of this gladiatorial blockbuster.

For this State of Origin first-timer; the event did not disappoint. It is a wild ride of a viewing experience. As the rugby union correspondent of the UK Daily Mail, it was an irresistible detour between England matches in Tokyo and New Zealand. I had watched on television several times in the past, but never witnessed a match first-hand. It was truly epic.

In Melbourne, there wasn’t much to give away that the city was due to host a showpiece fixture in the sporting calendar in this part of the world. One billboard on the way in from the airport was about the only give-away. As a mid-week match, supporters had to time their journey south from the competing states, so there weren’t many around until game day.

When they showed up, Queensland dominated. To the uninitiated, it felt like they were the popular choice and true superpower, with New South Wales – despite being the nearer state geographically – being stuck on the margins, eclipsed by a maroon army.

As a Brit, the thought occurred that if Origin features so much on-field aggravation and conflict, maybe it would be the same in the stands and the streets nearby. Would there be crowd trouble? There was no sign of any problems at all. There was banter, but that was it. Maybe that’s because alcohol consumption is less extreme than it is at major sport in our country.

It was interesting to note how much mixing of fans took place around the city. There would be groups of friends in rival colours, or couples with one in blue and one in maroon. It seemed relatively harmonious. Another eye-catching factor was the demographic; not just young men but all age groups, male and female, and an ethnically diverse gathering. It was an indication of how Origin seemingly captures all areas of Australian society.

When the teams were announced before kick-off, it was amusing to hear the soundtrack of boos. Nobody appeared to be cheering. It was as if all energy was used to taunt the opposition rather than acclaim their own players and coaches. Billy Slater received by far the biggest tirade of negativity from the stands, which is presumably a reflection of his high standing in the game, making him a favourite target; a pantomime villain.

The fact the game was taking place in Melbourne shows that the NRL are engaged in an expansion campaign. In the UK, rugby league is restricted to a narrow northern corridor. We would have a clash between, say, Wigan and Leeds at Wembley, and it would generate a mass migration to the capital, but there is not the same feel of a mega event.