10,000 screaming fans.
A sports match
A frosty night.
7 very brave Streakers.
The culmination of all these things, my fellow Australians, is what the student population of Leeds fondly refer to as Varsity. The cut throat rugby final, and last match of the Varsity sport competition between The University of Leeds and Leeds Metropolitan University (or SuperTafe to you Adelaideans).
When Louise suggested that she and I attend such a prestigious event (with a very friendly price tag of 7 pounds I might add) I was at first intrigued. Yes, I am happy to admit I know ABSOLUTELY nothing about rugby (and still don’t know anything – even post game). Us real Australians (sorry all u NSW and QLD’s) watch and follow Australian Rules Football; the real mans game. However, I was willing to put my ignorance in the hands of the Varsity rival game in the hope that it would reward me with a full and uplifting experience.
Unfortunately I am still convinced the game is still a bunch of muscular guys pushing each other around on a field of grass and occasionally making a poorly imitated Oussain Bolt dash for the try line….
But that is another point altogether.
We arrived at the ground with Tom and Fran only to find the line for smart people like us who had pre-purchased tickets was ENORMOUS and the line for people who were too lazy to get off their asses was NON EXISTENT. A girl behind me was even considering buying a new ticket just to skip the line. I tell you sometimes these English have it very backward…
My patience having been tested (although for an impatient soul like myself that’s not too hard to achieve) we finally arrived inside the Headingly Stadium. The game had already started and the roar of the crowd was pretty amazing. I think there was meant to be separate stands for each University (for a uni game….I know right!) so we sat in front of a very large, and vocal group of Leeds Uni students. A massive shout out to the people that came up with the chant ‘If you cant go to uni go to Met’ to the tune of ‘If your happy and you know it clap your hands’ – that is an example of musical genius to the utmost degree!
We were cautioned that, whilst it is would be in our best patriotic nature to wear our Leeds Uni hoodies, it also acts as a huge red bullseye for a Leeds Met person wanting to throw beer on an unsuspecting soul. Needless to say the hoodie was left at home, in favour of more suitably neutral attire.
Having already learnt that Leeds Uni did not have very good odds to grasp the win (who would of thought Leeds Met were actually good at something?!?!), it was not a shock when Leeds Met took a convincing lead. However, the atmosphere of simply being in such an amazing crowd was enough for me to overlook the fact we were copping a flogging (losing really badly in English speak, sorry!)
Shortly afterwards I was introduced to the finely perfected English art of streaking. This is not to say that Australians have anything against taking their clothes off and running around a sports field (in fact some don’t even need the sports field part…) but it is definitely more apparent here. The reason for this can perhaps be attributed to the fact that in Australia it is likely you will get arrested for causing ‘public disturbance’ or at the very least wacked with a few hundred dollar fine. Here, you are ejected from the game and fined 80 pounds. Now, personally I think that is all the encouragement a wannabe streaker needs, if you and your friends all go in for the fine it’s so cheap, even by student standards! And yes you get ejected from the ground, but really it’s SO totally worth it and you have something really good to brag about at the pub afterwards!
At half time they made the presentations for the winners of the rest of the Varsity sports played over the tournament. Now this is the part, I was least looking forward to as this is what we heard:
Men’s Basketball: Leeds Met! (cheer from the Leeds Met students)
Women’s Basketball: Leeds Met! (see above)
Men’s Football: Leeds Met! (again see above)
Just about every sport ever created: Leeds Met!
Men’s Professional Monopoly Playing: Leeds Met!
(ok well maybe not but you can see how the trend developed)
Leeds Uni did come away with the win in a few things so hope was not all lost and the best thing about not winning a lot is, when we did the cheer was enormous! (probably more out of relief than anything else but that’s irrelevant!)
Leeds Uni did fight back in true underdog style at the end to only come up 12 points behind Leeds Met at the final siren, producing what I was told was one of the closest margins of the recent years. Good job Uni!
So the whole process was a rather steep learning curve for me, for the reasons outlined below:
a) There would never be such a great rivalry in Adelaide but I really love how it produces a healthy competition that gives people a side to really get behind.
b) I still do not have an understanding of rugby and honestly have no intention of developing one
c) I saw many parts of the human anatomy which, effected by the frosty conditions, I wish to never, ever see again.
d) And lastly, regardless of who won, surely a University’s merit must be largely based on its academic record and the intelligence of its very students.
After all, if you can’t go to Uni go to Met!
Was the crowd atmosphere electric?
DEFINITELY
Was it a little disheartening that we lost?
MAYBE
Will I ever forget the image of the fat, little security guards running after, and diving on, the streakers?
PROBABLY NOT!
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