My First Experience
Rugby League is a sport that has never really caught my attention. As a devoted petrol head, any sport that did not consist of a throttle and an engine was always seen as irrelevant.
When I lived down South my limited knowledge of Rugby League never used to be a problem. It was only till I moved up to Huddersfield that I realised that, to fit in with the crowd, I needed to know a lot more about the sport.
Now, I have heard of players such as Rob Burrow and Sean Long but they have never had any meaning in my life.
However, last weekend that was to change as I witnessed the Huddersfield Giants take on the Leeds Rhinos at the Galpharm Stadium.
I took my seat and was amazed as to how close I was to the players. So close in fact that I could actually smell the players anti - perspirant spray, which is a far cry from the smell of motor bike gas that had originally filled my Sundays.
I looked round the stadium, savouring every moment on this sunny Sunday afternoon. Everywhere I turned there were fans adopting their team’s shirts, with a few Rhino fans sharing a pizza pod with some of the home supporters. Such actions are most rarely seen in any other sport, especially football.
With the sun beckoning down on the pitch and the fireworks lighting up the sky, the players took to the pitch to a deafening sound unparallel to any sporting event I have been to.
The game kicked off. Tackles flew in left, right and centre and immediately I was hooked. The sound of bones crunching and shirts ripping was enough to prove that this was more of a man sport than any motor sport I know. All of a sudden I felt like a fan, feeling every tackle and shouting every chant.
As the game went on I started developing a soft spot for Huddersfield and I thought why not? They are my adopted home team and so people tell me, it was where the whole sport originated.
After the match I felt like a changed man. The atmosphere, the fireworks and the action was not why I expected and it’s amazing to know that on the Sunday morning I was a sole motor sport fan. Yet by Sunday night I was a sports fan in general and eagerly anticipating the next match. Bring on the Bradford!!!
