Rugby

With the 2014 FIFA World Cup going on in Brazil, many are rooting for their favorite national soccer team, however that is not the case here in Australia. Apparently the Australian National Football Team has a historic habit of losing in the World Cup in the first round. Because of this many Australian citizens lack the enjoyment many other foreign students have fir the event. Instead many Australians turn their attention to the Rugby games occurring here in the country.

Unlike the World Cup, or the sport of Soccer in general, rugby is a popular winter sport in Australia with a history dating back to 1907. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that Australian rugby is the equivalent of football in America It is traditionally most popular in Australia's rugby football strongholds of New South Wales, Queensland and the ACT, though it is played throughout the nation. It is the dominant winter sport on the country's eastern seaboard, which comprise around half of the country's population. Much like American football, rugby is the most watch sport in all of Australia, with a total estimate of one hundred twenty-eight million viewers.

Australia has a rich history of rugby league, first taking up the sport in 1908 alongside people in Britain and New Zealand. The rule changes over the decades have been partly instigated in Australia as well. The country has been dominant over the other rugby league-playing nations for many years, but enjoys a strong rivalry with New Zealand, Australia's traditional history.

Before coming to Australia, I didn't have much of a liking for the sport, especially since it mimicked American football, a sport that I am honestly not a fan of. However after watching a game when I was in Sydney for "fall recess" I actually sat down and watch a game, and to tell the truth, I actually began to understand the game more than I do American football. Since then I've become a huge fan of the sport, flipping through the channels to watch the World Cup and the New South Wales "Blues" vs. the Queensland "Maroons." Its actually a really interesting sport that looks fun to play. Of course if I were to play rugby, I would most likely be killed instantly on the field haha.