excessive booing

[Ragey Erasmus]

Whilst everyone agrees crowd noise is necessary for a good atmosphere, don't some find that the tendency for crowds to boo has gone too far and has actually reached a point of being rude and petty? Booing if someone does something dangerous or naughty is ok but booing when someone is taking a kick or just generally playing comes across very badly. As a spectator I find it actually ruins the feel of the game quite a bit.

What's the opinion of people here? Has booing become too much?

 

[Big Ewis]

England booed the Haka last November didn't they ? Yeah I think it's bad. I thought it was very arrogant and quite rude for the English fans to sing that song of theirs in the middle of Stade de France honestly, and am OK with French fans booing that. But for anything else, especially an opposite kicker concentrating on his penalty, I find that awful.
Sometimes home teams are booed by their own crowd because they suck. I find that crappy too. I think French fans did that in some match the past few years, perhaps the EOYT Aussie blowout, which was an absolute disaster tbh, and I remember distinctly the South African fans booing their Boks against the Aussies in 2008 when they were getting annihilated at home. Booed by your crowd 20min into a game

 

[Ragey Erasmus]

To my knowledge England fans sang Swing low at the same time as the Haka, which isn't considered a sign of disrespect. I don't know how singing your teams song during normal play can really be considered rude.

 

[Mumbles119]

Ewis, I was at that Eng/NZ game last November. I did not hear any booing, but a very loud rendition of Swing Low. I did want to check this when re-watching the game at home, but Sky 'failed' to record it! So if booing was heard I didn't, and do not agree with it at all.

In regards to Swing Low. The ABs have said they like this, as they see it as an acceptance to their challenge, which the Haka is.
I prefer this too, because if we had to have a forced silence out of bureaucratic ridiculousness, it would spoil a passionate occasion, and a competitive confrontation which of course the sport of rugby is.

I don't agree with booing the kicker either. But, am undecided about silence, as there are Top 14 examples of home crowds making more noise (encouragingly) to spur on their own kicker, which seem to be better than a silence with the usual lone idiot screaming/whistling/hooting just as the kicker strikes the ball.

As long as rugby stays well away from the personal and sometimes illegal abuse that football supporters give their players, I suppose I will be happy.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

England booed the Haka last November didn't they ?

No.

 

[munstermuffin]

Agreed. In Aviva there was a lot of booing for Heaslip and Kearneys disallowed tries and few other incidents despite the TMO showing the correct calls were clearly made.

 

[siochain]

Agreed. In Aviva there was a lot of booing for Heaslip and Kearneys disallowed tries and few other incidents despite the TMO showing the correct calls were clearly made.

I'd see that as part of the atmosphere of a game. Booing of kickers is not on.

Wait till you hear the booing this Saturday in the Aviva.

 

[Big Ewis]

oh yeah my bad. Memory is quite a selective thing, I remembered booing but I'll trust you guys it was singing !...I remembered the whole arena reacted vocally to it is what I'm saying, my bad it wasn't booing.
And it might not be "rude" but it certainly is defiant and pride-laden, maybe to an excess. So calling it "rude" or not towards the haka is just play on words, it definitely isn't sympathetic towards it and that's clear enough.
NZ's going to do their haka, that won't change any time soon, I suppose we have to just observe...I don't know what I'd think of the French crowd singing the Marseillaise during their haka, clearly disrespectful, at home or not...

I mean there are moments when you can celebrate your pride for your country or wtvr, and then points where it's not innocent at all anymore and borders on, if not outright dwells in the rude, or aggressively defiant/disrespectful. There's a point where you're imposing your own petty existence on the environment or event around you, and I don't like that. It's just the herd mentality, nothing older than that in society.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Do we really have to get into another Haka debate?

You ask anyone who was singing "over" the Haka that day if they wanted it "to change"/were being disrespectful - people love the Haka. It's a great spectacle, and a real symbol of the All Blacks/rugby. Doesn't mean people can't respond to their challenge, though.

 

[Saints1]

This is one of the few things about union I can't get my head around.

Rugby League kickers aren't given a minute's peace - and I love that fact. And they very rarely miss too. I've heard a fantastic wall of noise as opposition players have stepped up for crucial kicks.

I was at Northampton vs Leicester 5 years ago or so (Northampton won) and you could hear a pin drop when a kick was taking place. Totally alien!

 

[Draggs]

I love the Top14 just because of the madness during the matches. Cheers, whistles, boos constantly. If you want to watch a match in silence, mute your TV and watch it at home. As said above, sometimes its just eerily quiet. It does add tension, but then again I loved it when Biggar was jeered and booed to high heaven in Dublin when he knocked over the conversion out wide.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

I love the silence, I can't imagine anything more daunting than lining up a last minute kick to win a game with absolute silence all around in a place like Thomond Park! It's got to a lot of players too. (Brock James, RDS, 2010 being a prime example)

 

[Groundhog]

oh yeah my bad. Memory is quite a selective thing, I remembered booing but I'll trust you guys it was singing !...I remembered the whole arena reacted vocally to it is what I'm saying, my bad it wasn't booing.
And it might not be "rude" but it certainly is defiant and pride-laden, maybe to an excess. So calling it "rude" or not towards the haka is just play on words, it definitely isn't sympathetic towards it and that's clear enough.
NZ's going to do their haka, that won't change any time soon, I suppose we have to just observe...I don't know what I'd think of the French crowd singing the Marseillaise during their haka, clearly disrespectful, at home or not...

I mean there are moments when you can celebrate your pride for your country or wtvr, and then points where it's not innocent at all anymore and borders on, if not outright dwells in the rude, or aggressively defiant/disrespectful. There's a point where you're imposing your own petty existence on the environment or event around you, and I don't like that. It's just the herd mentality, nothing older than that in society.

Disrespectful? Some might say that travelling to another country and expecting the fans of said country to stand silently for the haka is hugely disrespectful. I love the haka, it epitomizes the spirit of rugby, but its there to be answered. It's not just a big up tool for the all blacks, it's a challenge, and when it is answered it gives me Goosebumps. Anderson for Ireland , France in the World Cup and Wales's stare down, it set the tone for a big game, and it's one of the huge reasons the All Blacks will put bums on seats wherever they go. Booing the haka is just plain ignorant though
Sorry I really don't want to spark this debate but I think that much respect for The All Blacks sends you half way toward losing the match
OT. I can take booing in certain circumstances. I hate crowds who boo EVERYTHING, the refs decision, the kickers, the other team their own teams, it's a bad plan. Like Paul O'Connell being booed on and off the pitch in Clermont last year. Really bigged him up to kill before the semi last year according to ROG's book. Way I see it you should clap the opposition onto the field, shut up for the kicks, nothing will put them off more, although I have no problem with the French clap thing, that's good too, but the booing's just annoying. I know in Thomond if you try boo a kicker you will likely get everyone in the vicinity telling you to shut your mouth. They take it very personally. Even if it's just kids doing it. They'll Likely be tossed in the Shannon

 

[munstermuffin]

I love the silence, I can't imagine anything more daunting than lining up a last minute kick to win a game with absolute silence all around in a place like Thomond Park! It's got to a lot of players too. (Brock James, RDS, 2010 being a prime example)

On this I read an article by Enda McNulty (Irish Sport Psychologis) that kickers actually find it 5 times more difficult to make a kick in silence as opposed to in a stadium booing because the silence makes the kicker feel the eyes of everyone is on him more which rises mental pressure.

 

[Big Ewis]

A Rugby player plays Rugby, there shouldn't be anything extracurricular going on; besides a home crowd vociferously behind their team creating some of the home advantage.
I'm against anything "extracurricular", anything going on outside of the Rugby. I don't like Bakkies Botha for example. Ppl actually praise his fukkery on the field and consider it part of the skillset almost of the character. He brings intimidation, the psychological edge...I say it's bs and has nothing to do with Rugby, but I can see ppl eager to reply already to tell me that yes it is in fact part of Rugby, but we just disagree then.

If the home crowd decides to make noise as the opposite kicker kicks, I guess those are just the rules and difficulties of playing in that stadium. But booing is downright disrespectful. It shouldn't come down to booing.

And I wasn't "sparking another" haka problem, I'm just saying the NZ'ers most certainly noticed their haka wasn't being respected by Twickenham and that's that. You try to sing at a higher volume than something, you're basically taking a crap on it, none of Twick heard a sound from the haka.
I mean it's like we're sitting in the car, I play a CD into the car stereo as routine and you stick your portable boombox out and blast it max volume. It is what it is, but I'm not going to look at you and smile. Can you imagine if every single arena reacted that way to the haka ? everybody taking a crap on it like that ? there wouldn't be one anymore.
So I'm saying, I wasn't cool with that. It's nice an entire crowd wants to show resistance and emphasize their presence but wtf you can't play two TV sets at the same time...there are other ways to challenge the haka. And not too many actually, coz then you have to pay money

The larger point: crowd is nice. Essential. It sets the atmospheres. Chants are nice. Home advantage is awesome. But let's all be wary of what/how and when to use.

 

[Ragey Erasmus]

What are you on about Ewis? The ABs loved the fact the Twickers crowd sang Swing Low as they did the Haka. Tell me why should NZ be allowed a special bit to make lots of noise and get riled up and everyone else has to stay silent? If you are following tradition, the Haka is traditionally a challenge and should be answered. Booing is disrespectful but responding to the Haka with your own song, cheers etc is all in the spirit of it. It's like the difference between booing a national anthem and simply only letting one side have their national anthem sung.

 

[nickdnz]

Well - 80,000 people singing a song over the performance of 22 guys I thought was actually pretty rude to be honest. The challenge isn't for the spectators - it's for the opposite players. If it was only the players on the field singing over then I agree it would be a good challenge - but to me it was just a bit obnoxious, like well done...you out shouted two dozen guys..

That in mind I hate all booing in games and New Zealand has gotten worse at it. Booing and whistling at conversion/penalty attempts especially bugs me. I generally felt not too bad for the whole Quade Cooper thing as I feel dirty play can earn boos, but now I tend to feel more judgmental at a crowd who boos at small incidents or 50/50 calls than I do towards players who make minor infractions. When the referee makes the correct decision and still gets boo'd is just one of my "shut up and learn the game" moments. Bringing lazer pointers to the game like in Argentina is another thing that makes me pretty mad.

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

At Newlands the crowd has started to boo more than usual the last 3 years if I'm not imagining things but it's not yet a patch on some other grounds. Our problem is when the Crusaders come to town and the local Crusader/AB fans hang out and insult WP supporter's mothers and so on, even spitting on the home players as they arrive. Truely a degenerate bunch. Cape Town will never again host the All Blacks; it's just too big a security risk.

Big E, the biggest sadness regarding Bakkies' antics is that he is actually one hell of a rugby player the rare 10 minutes he doesn't get side tracked; I personally blame the SA media for building up this 'big bad Bakkies' character and it going to his head.

 

[TRF_heineken]

My 2 cents. Booing, Singing, chanting, screaming etc. Are all noise factors in a stadium. If the majority of the crowd does it, then it's bound to have an effect, especially when a kicker aims at goal. I think it would be equally distracting to a player like Morne Steyn, if the crowd was booing him, or singing something like Swing Low or Waltzing Matilda, when he's about to kick.

Booing gets the most flak, as it has a negative connotation connected to it. Would there have been a discussion if booing was percieved as a form of positive chanting by the crowd?

As for it being excessive? Nah, the crowd is part of the game, they provide more atmosphere, and since human beings are emotional and sensitive, they will express their feelings any way they can...

 

[Deleted member 53362]

All part of the game, love the way the French happily boo away adds to the atmosphere.