The unconditional love for a team, where does it come from?

[TRF_Ezequiel]

I support Ajax (club) and Uruguay (country) in football (or soccer if you call it that). Ajax has been my club since I was just a little boy and my passion for Uruguay came because of Enzo Francescoli who I really admired as a player.

In Rugby I support the Springboks because my ex-wife and son are from South Africa and I support the Sharks because of my father-in-law hehe. The story behind it I only heard lately. He was a Blue Bulls-fan for years but when Steve Hofmeyr, a famous South African artist and big Bulls-fan, cheated on his wife or something like that my father-in-law and his wife decided to support the Sharks in stead.

The first match I watched was a Super14 match where the Sharks played the Highlanders. Ryan Kankowski scored an amazing try after a fabulous steal and Francois Steyn scored a 55 metre penalty (back then something special, now a random job for Steyn hehe). This is how Kanko and Steyn became my 2 favorite players. Sharks won 17-19

The Bulls losing that same weekend at home against the Hurricanes 22-50 which was the start of an amazing weekend after my first serious Super14 experience (I already watched the 2007 RWC but this was different).

Now I decided to follow Racing Metro in France since Francois Steyn moved there. Not because I like the club or because they win prices or never win anything.... Mainly because Steyn moved there. If he would have moved to Perpignan, I would take the time watching that club's matches.

I was wondering... which clubs do you support and why?

 

[TRF_Olyy]

I've got no idea why i support Sale to be honest They're not the closest club to me (that'd be Leicester Tigers) and they don't win a lot.
My dads family are from up north, so maybe i've been subconciously programmed to like them or something

I follow USAP in the top 14 because i've been going to Perpignan/a village near there nearly every year since I was born, and my parents live there most of the year now,
Same reason i have a soft spot for Catalans Dragons (i've seen them training on the beach there a few times as well)

I follow Celtic Crusaders in Superleague because i'm at University in Wales, and I like underdogs as well

I like Queensland Reds because of Quade Cooper, and I like Brisbane Broncos because of Sam Thaiday

 

[Logorrhea]

Leinster and Clermont

Season ticket hold for the former and it was purely geographic to start with. I suppose the more time you invest the more the emotional bond.

I never used to support any foreign teams but having experienced what Clermont are all about last year and having such a good time with their fans, I am definately a fan of them now.

Have no attachment to any other club sides.

 

[User1245]

Sharks only and forever. Was a Natal rugby fan before I even knew what the Springboks were.
What really got me into rugby was when I won some money from guessing (emphasis on the guess) the closest score. My family and friends were over and they all placed bets, my dad gave me money to put in and wrote down my prediction. All that I remember was that it was a Natal vs Free State game and I won around R15, which was a lot of a 7 year ago!

 

[Charles]

I support France. I'm from Montpellier but I don't really care about them. I'm happy when they win but no biggie if they loose. I root for all the french clubs in the Hcup/Challenge.

 

[Prestwick]

I wouldn't say I have an unconditional love for either my club or my country and if there is something I see which I don't like (such as say Phil Vickery deliberately tripping a player for England or a horribly late mid air tackle by a Saracens player) I'll make my displeasure known because at the end of the day antics like that cost points and reputation.

 

[Shaggy]

I guess being a New Zealander, it's not unusual to support the All Blacks (although there are a few from the Canterbury area that now support the Wallabies because of Robbie Deans) ... I also support the crusaders in the Super 14 because I was brought up in that franchises area), Nelson Bays is my provincial team, and i would love to have seen them lift the Ranfurly shield (they've never won it, even though rugby has been played a long time in that area - the first game ever played in NZ was played in Nelson)

Nelson Bays is now combined with neigbours Marlborough to compete as the Tasman Makos in the ITM cup, so I support them also.

the club that I played for growing up is Stoke, and my birth province is North Otago, so I support those sides too ... i'll also support Canada because of Ed ... HAHA ... nah, because i live here now.

i guess I could call it unconditional love, because I do support these teams through the good times and bad

 

[alex]

Canterbury, crusaders, All blacks, and, of course, Namibia.

 

[nickdnz]

Yeah, my choices aren't really random.

I support the All Blacks because I'm a New Zealander. I grew up watching players like Brooke, Lomu, Cullen and Mehrtens.
I supports Wellington and Hurricanes because they are apart of the region I live in, I can see their games, and they have had some of my favourite players play for them (Cullen, Umaga, Lomu etc), and I've met and known several players to play for them with Masoe, Cavubati and Sereli Bobo all members of my club.
I support the Harlequins because of several players who played for them, the first being Will Carling and later Brooke and Mehrtens, and now Evans.
I support Clermont because I enjoy their style of play, and they've always been an exciting team to watch, with good character, but when I started supporting them, they hadn't had success in quite a while (They seemed like France's version of the Wellington Lions).

I support my home teams over forign teams.

 

[squirrel]

i dont know where a love of a team comes from but i certainly know where a hate of a team comes from, its when the hated team shits on your team year after year ala the ABs and the baggy greens

 

[rossipen]

italy, and Aironi for geographic reason.
Leicester Tigers because of Castro, Stade for Parisse

 

[Amobokoboko]

This might be a long list:
International
NZ, as I lived in NZ for quite some time. Had a kiwi girlfriend and we're still very close
OZ, because of Deans, AAC, Quade
Tonga, Fiji, Samoa as I love the passion and brute force they use
Italy: no idea actually it just seems a cool team and it's always a surprise when they win

S14:
Chiefs ( lived in the Waikato area)
all other NZ teams not playing the Chiefs

Europe:
Biarritz, Brive and Clermont ( The first game I ever saw)
not sure about UK teams but Prestwick will give me some useful pointer next weekend.

 

[ORothlain]

Discovering Rugby in the late 90's in America was a clumsy experience. There wasn't a lot of information available. When I heard there was a team called "London Irish" I knew I was destined to be a supporter. I found a catalogue and was able to order the shirt.


I also support Ulster. My wife is originally from Belfast, and all her extended family are still there, so it was a natural fit to support the Ulstermen. I bought one of the shirts and showed up to a family barbecue there in Belfast, everyone was surprised that their neice/cousin was dating a large american rugby player who supported their team. Good first impressions are definitely worth making, lol.

 

[Duckdee]

Got dragged to a Tigers game at I don't know how old. I grew up following football, as that was on TV and all my friends did, but after years of going to watch Leicester, rugby became my number one sport.

 

[lynam1104]

Leinster my home
Ireland- my bigger home
Reds- Quade copper
thats pretty much it if i flick on to a game i usually go for the team on the left of my screen.

 

[Feicarsinn]

It's all about location, isn't it? I obviously supposrt Leinster, largely due to the fact that the RDS is only about half an hour away from me (Donnybrook was nice and close too actually) and I live in Ireland so that was natural enough. I wouldn't say I actively support any other teams (except the mighty Pumas, Lions robbed us btw), mainly because I have no real connection to them. There are teams I like to see do well (Sale, Llanelli, Clermont etc.) but if they lose I don't really care that much. KnowwhatImeanlike?

 

[King_D'Arcy]

In rugby my choices are based on location; Leinster and Ireland because I'm from there. I'm located bang in the middle of the Aviva Stadium and the RDS so that's handy. In football I support Man U just because my whole family does... I think my dad started supporting them in the George Best days.

 

[Amobokoboko]

Almost forgot the most important club:
Brussels Celtics, the team I will be playing for as soon as my knee gets better.

 

[durbutter]

All location and history for me. Munster by birth and all that. I must say though that the excellent connection the Munster team has with its supporters is borne out of the Heineken Cup Odyssey 2000-2006. It really light a fire in most people, made them like the local Junior GAA team. Really was magic, but I feel that connection was lost for a while there, but with the band wagoners disappearing at an alarming rate now, i feel we can get back to basics, back to core values.

Aside form the above, love to see Ulster doing well. They never get the publicity they deserve.

 

[Shaggy]

hey, instead of choosing the teams we support by where we were brought up, where we live/lived, why don't we choose ... alphabetically

... Lets see "A" is for "All", "B" is for "Blacks', "C" is for "Crusaders" and for "Canada" too ...

Don't like the alphabetically, you could try picking your international teams by the team colours ... maybe support the team that wears the darkest team uniform