Please

Please

Stop calling rugby supporters 'thugbyheads' and other derogatory terms. Stop putting down anyone that supports rugby or other sports that don't have the words 'foot' and 'ball' in them.

Football supporters have a tendency to be their own worst enemy - especially in New Zealand. Rugby is the dominant sport in NZ (at least in the 20+ age group, anyway) and you simply have to accept that and move on.

Those damn 'thugby' supporters that a lot of you guys insult make up the bulk of the sport watching public in New Zealand. These supporters are also people that could be persuaded into coming to a few Phoenix games. By insulting the majority of the sport watching public, you are doing a disservice to the Phoenix and NZ football in general.

It is possible to like more than one sport - shocking, I know. You don't have to deride one code to further the cause of another.

I know it's frustrating when certain journalists and other people in high places do the same to football - but this isn't kindergarten. The rule of 'but they did it first' doesn't apply anymore.

I guess this is something that has annoyed me for a while. You can ignore me if you want.

Yeh go for it valeo. You're right. One guy I had a chat with at the very last Knights home game came along with his three kids for the first time. He is a league fanatic, but he said the atmosphere at North Harbour was just great. He loved the singing and humour and said it was so much better than at the league. He was keen to come back.

We need to encourage everyone.

I agree. We need to stop pointing fingers.

To be honest, most rugby fans are actually pretty accepting of football. Perhaps not the ones in my age group that play rugby (15-19) but the older ones and the ones with families usually are.

Hopefully rugby fans can go along to Phoenix games without die hard football supporters getting prepared to lynch them.
valeo2007-06-06 23:12:12

To be fair, they hassle our 'puff sport' so I dont see why we cant do the same back.

Congrats on missing the point of my post. My point is that this doesn't achieve anything, especially not for football in nz.

I'm not saying that some rugby supporters rubbish football. Of course they do.
valeo2007-06-06 23:48:24

As Nembo said, alot of rugby supporters refer to footballers as "poofs". If footballer supporters can take the hammering, why can't "thugbyheads".

 Cry me a river...

I think most of you are missing the point - yes we all get called "poofs" n' "pansies" or wotever.....but we NEED the sports fanatic population of NZ (most of which rugby supporters) for this to be succesful.

And if a comeback is needed for rugby "heads" just ask them to do the math on Dan Carters Salary vs David Beckhams.........whos the "poof" now?

What's that got to do with NEW ZEALAND who mostly support RUGBY.

Of course some rugby supporters are morons - and as we can see from this thread a few football supporters are too..

Most of the insults/comments don't come as a retaliation to something else. Don't you understand that this completely excludes a huge potential fanbase?

By the way, I support football just as much as I support rugby.


valeo2007-06-07 11:59:34

So by making this thread you were trying to prove that we should stop calling rugby supporters thugbyheads because it it derogatory?

Football is critisied in NZ as second to Rugby and i can think of alot more terms that people call football supperters than somthing as stupid as thugbyheads.

To me making this thread in the Wellington Phoenix Disc, and the other was thinking that we should feel a sense of appreciation towards rubgy supporters becuase theyll come to our games out of pity? Theyre more than welcome, but no need to make it look like football supporters are idiots.

Dont wanna sound like a dick but thats where i stand.

Egg chasers.  That's what they are.  Once, a couple of years back, I was wearing a Kaapa jacket in a pub - and some egg chaser came up to me and said "You're one of those soccer poofters aren't you?"    I love football.  Rugby is as boring as batsh*t, but at least once every ten years a game is watchable.  As for sailing.........don't get me started.....

I agree with everything Valeo has said. Pisses me off too.

I'm not sure on this one. While I do understand the points being made by Valeo - primarily that the Phoenix need rugby fans to become converts if they are to be successful - I myself absolutely hate the game and the way it is pushed into our faces 24/7 in this country. If talking to a rugby fan about soccer means that I then have to reciprocate the conversation then frankly I'm not going to do that. I'd rather spend my time with like-minded individuals. Call me a snob if you like, but that's me.

The more people who go the better. It doesn`t matter what other sport they follow. My back is like a ducks.

There are going to be a lot of guys/girls coming along to games who have not followed footy  in the past, and hopefully they can be converted. There have been loads of rugby followers who have gone on OE to the UK and come back with a love of the round ball, which is great, and hopefully something the Phoenix can emulate. We will need this to happen in order for it to be a success.

There are some hardened rugby fans however who will never be converted, as they simply dont have an open mind. I remember being at sports cafe in '02 watching a brilliant world cup game, and having a group of rugby heads grumbling because they couldnt listen to the commentary of the some obscure rugby game. That is the kind of closed-minded attitude that ticks of footy supporters. I got a letter to the Ed in the Dom (with colour picture of the world cup game) on the back of that and a annoying peice of journalism by a Dom rugby writer (similar to the Capital Times one).

Quite right Feverish. For me i don`t see the point in petty name calling.That goes for all things not just sport. sanday2007-06-07 14:21:55

"Thugbyheads" is one of the most poor, useless and downright pathetic insults I have ever had the misfortune to come across.

I agree we need to get rugby fans to come to games as well as they can boost our crowd attendances.

I was talking to this guy at school about sport (he play's rugby and I play football) and we were arguing over which sport was better, and he goes,"If rugby players and soccer players had a fight, who would win?" I mean, that's the most stupid reason to play a sport. Who cares who would win a fight, it's not like pro football and pro rugby teams would ever be playing against each other, thus, they would never be able to start a fight.

King Douglas, you da man. Well said. I will continue to hate the game with a rare passion.

uncle steve2007-06-07 21:46:38

Ha !..Primal Tribalism at it's best !

The Wellington sporting community is the best in NZ. Wgtn supports teams and events on a greater % than most offer big centres(even when lossing). look at the Hurricanes, Shakers, Team Wgtn support as a percentage of population in the region. Blew2007-06-07 22:12:57

Umm, maybe the fact that New Zealand is a part of the World. Dipsh*t.

Football fans having a go at other sport codes and their fans isn't the problem in NZ, the problem is the racism and general abuse that takes place within football in NZ.

Yea and their all lame teams. Wait till the Nix get on a roll. You ain't seen nothing yet! Bye Bye rugby!

Wooaaa! To Much info Sanday. I never realized ducks had hairy backs!
Ronaldoknow2007-06-07 22:52:42

Interesting thread. I actually have never felt the need to defend myself or my sport when accosted by a Thugbyhead accusing me of being a Pooftah for playing football. I have come to realise that it is just a reflection of his single cell existence and I generally feel sorry for him. The thing with sport in New Zealand is that because of our small population and our great outdoors lifestyle most people have followed or been involved with many sports so the Nix should have no trouble attracting good crowds providing they are a quality outfit and I think this will be the case. Their is a false perception in this country that rugby is the dominant sport. This is a myth perpetrated by our mysogynistic media. Statistics show that football is truly the countries favourite game. The general public generally follow sport through the media so their perception of which sport is dominant is guided by a bunch of self interested media buffoons. The winds of change are upon us and they are blowing out of Wellington on the Wings of a Phoenix!!! Ronaldoknow2007-06-07 23:02:49

Hmm picture the scene..

Last Friday night at the Thistle, almost every one from the fever event has drifted away, and me and Hard News and are talking in the middle of the room when two older rugger buggers who had been sitting at a side table all evening come over to us.

ORB: "We've got a question for you?"
HN & ME "Yes?"
ORB "In the evolution of man, from climbing down from the trees, standing upright and picking up a ball and running with it, where does soccer fit in?"

Gobsmacked - I think we said something along the lines of Man would be more likely to kick a ball than pick it up and run with it.

Thats the kind of endemic mentality we're up against with your run of the mill rugger bugger, and I'm a former rugby player and fan!!

No-one holds it against you mate. Just 'cos we love the beutiful game doesn't mean we are restricted to only supporting our sport. in fact in this regard I think footie fans are much more "rounded" if you catch my drift. Rugger buggers have never had to consider supporting any other sport unless they wanted a break over summer. The times they are a changing ....

i just think rugby is boring, seriously i tried watching the game on last week but after 5 or so mins i just went and played pro 6.
the 2 dont compare although i find it ironic that the violent game has soft fans and the soft game has violent ones

I'm not saying that a lot of rugby fans aren't morons and insult football. What I am saying is that the 'fence sitters' that mostly support rugby aren't likely to warm to the sport if they come to a forum like this and and every third comment is making some lame insult towards rugby.

f**k you guys are good at taking sh*t at out of context and then whining about it.

and if you think that rugby isn't the dominant sport in New Zealand then you are seriously deluded. Sure, football is extremely popular in the 5-18 age group but above that is sadly lacking.

Meh, that's my opinion - I can't change yours.

Oh yeah, and to the guy that said that theres no singing at rugby games - I agree with you. It's pretty pathetic. Rugby viewers are known for simply watching watching the game and not really getting into it - it annoys me too and is one of the great things about football.



Wow. I can't believe you said that. It may be the 'WORLD' game and New Zealand is a part of the 'WORLD' but rugby is seen as being 'NEW ZEALAND's game. Do you need me to type this in big bold letters?

I find it kind of weird that people don't see the hypocrisy of complaining about people insulting football then doing the exact same back...

Oh well, debate is good anyway. (the lull in signings and all that..)

p.s. nice over reaction there King Douglas.
valeo2007-06-08 01:15:09

One problem, football isn't a soft game, it's a hard game for men.

Right you are, every football player and every fan is as hard as nails (Roy Keane, Patrick Vierra, Stig Tofting, Marlon Harewood etc), with the notable exception of the players in La Liga who continually dive.

Yeah there are some who taint the name of the beautiful game but it's still a hard game and you have to be bloody fit to play it.

Do you not think that  the people that bash soccer and the people who bash rugby are at the outer extremes of the general sport fan population? im sure you'll find the vast majority would get into any sport as long as its a local team.

and not everyone calls soccer players poofs, just certain people probably from similar back grounds (most likely small town new zealand).

Yeah, I guess I was in idealistic mode. Meh.

Most NZ spoting supporters support many sports.