Rugby and Soccer!

This weekend CIEE gave us the opportunity to go to the South Africa vs. Australia rugby game. In addition our seminar class paid for us to attend the Orlando Pirates vs. Cape Town Ajax as a mode of comparison. Having attended both, there could not be any two sports more different.

We met 2 hours before the game and set out for the walk to the stadium. It was really only a couple miles from UCT. Already people were tipsy and with alcohol in hand were headed to the stadium. Our tickets were in the standing room only section. In this section, there were bars to lean on but other than that it was as it promised…standing room only. The mass of people made it difficult to see also compounded by the large overhang above us. In addition, a large population of people smoke here and so as the game began a haze enveloped the stadium. At one point, I was completely surrounded by people smoking cigarettes. I can only hope that my lungs recover at some point.

People around us were a mix of all races but looking out on the entire stadium there was a sea of white. I don’t think that I have seen a larger population of white people in one place since arriving in Cape Town. In addition, the entire South African team was white. I asked one of the Solmates about this and he said that is was really difficult to play rugby and be black. I think this comes from the heritage of the sport, being a European concoction. I learned a lot about rugby while there, but mostly I had no idea what was going on. South Africa won and played a good game as far as I could tell. The crowd really wasn’t too rambunctious but people did get into it. There was a guy in front of us yelling obscenities every time South Africa lost possession, which in rugby happens quite often. Also, most people had these plastic drums and would get a beat going. There was a bit of security guarding the field and we were patted down before going into the stadium but that is common protocol anywhere so really it was quite normal except that it was a game that I didn’t know.

Sunday we met for the soccer game and much to our relief we had actual seats. It was interesting our rugby seats (if you can call them that) were 125 rand, which is about $20, and we were standing while our soccer seats were only 20 rand, which is only $1.50. However, the soccer game was a much lower game because it was only a league match vs. an international match. Still I was quite happy that I could sit down for the game. Soccer was quite different. For one, in rugby, they ban the use of the plastic horns but soccer has not yet done that so on the way to the game was a series of annoying horns. Actually as the game started, so many people were playing them that it was like being in an amplified beehive. I am sure that I lost some hearing. Also in the vein of musical calamity, as we were being herded towards the gates, the Africans started in song and began dancing. It was great all around.

Looking around everyone was black. I think we were probably the only white people in the entire stadium. I have no idea why there aren’t more white fans in soccer except that maybe they all go to cricket and rugby games instead. It was definitely interesting to see though. Even the teams were solely black racially. Talk about contrast. It was very bizarre. In addition, they didn’t sell alcohol or allow any glass into the game which is contrast to the rugby game. This comes from the demeanor of the typical soccer fan. Many times riots will actually break out, at least in other countries. The amount of security at this game was unbelievable. I think we crossed 4 or 5 security check points before we actually got into our seating area.

The Orlando Pirates were the favored team to win. In fact, I only saw a few Ajax fans in the entire stadium and they were the home team! Orlando fans predominated followed closely by Chiefs fans that were there to see Orlando lose. It was quite interesting. Orlando won as expected but they didn’t really play a very good game. I really enjoyed the game though despite the poor playing by the Pirates. Vongani came with us. He is a big Orlando fan and it was nice to hang out with him.
I had two great opportunities this weekend to experience some of the heart of the African peoples. It was great to see games in a different context and then be able to compare them, not to mention they were just fun to watch.