H'woodMike2umate wrote:i have no recollection of seeing any Cheerleaders at the Oz v Ire game on 24 June. Can u inform us whether or not the situation improves at other times of the year in Perth? Photographic evidence wud b appreciated.
The Ulster public has a rite 2 no.
Alas, neither the Force nor the Wallabies have Cheerleaders. Actually I don't think any of the Australian unions do. The league teams do - I always put it down to the more boring games need extra entertainment... I don;t think the New Zealand unions have them either, but the South Africans do, probably for the same reason as the League teams.
"It is in this endeavor that I would like to ask for your help! Songs, chants, traditions - anything you have to offer which may help us put a bit of soul into our supporters and players would be appreciated."
You just have to adapt Stand Up Cobber, it works for Ulster (see Trevor Brennan's European Diary in the Irish Times where he specifically mentions the Ulster singing and how he couldn't get it out of his head). After all with a bit of practice I could see it work:
"Stand Up for the Western Force,
Stand Up for the Western Force,
Stand Up for the Western Force,
Stand Up for the Western Force,
and breathe
Stand Up for the Western Force,
Stand Up for the Western Force,
Stand Up for the Western Force,
Stand Up for the Western Force,
and on and on and on
I'm sure you know the tune, if not listen to the game I'm sure it comes across quite loud and clear.
Here is the article by Trevor I referred to in the above post.
From Todays Irish Times
Weight of expectations might be stifling us
European Cup Diary
A proper Ulster welcome turned into a right nightmare for Toulouse as we kicked off our challenge, writes Trevor Brennan
Stand up for the Ulstermen! Stand up for the Ulstermen! They just keep singing it again and again. I can't even get it out of my head. And what a game - if you're from Ulster! We had headed off on Friday morning, having our rendezvous at 8.30am in the club and our petit dejeuner. From there we went off to Blagnac Airport for our chartered flight with about 200 sponsors from the club. Everyone was in good form.
After checking in I went for a coffee with Alf, and a few conversations were struck up with the sponsors. They were in good form too, looking for autographs and photographs, etc. After boarding the plane and arriving in Belfast, we took a bus to the beautiful, four-star La Mon Hotel and Country Club in Newtownards.
Going in the door, I was greeted by Francis Brady, the hotel's managing director.
"How's it going Trevor? You and your team are very welcome to our hotel."
Then it clicked with me - how I'd met this fella before. I'd stayed here a few years ago with the Ireland As when we played France.
The room were great, the food was fantastic and the facilities - the gym, the swimming pool - were all top-notch. After a siesta for a couple of hours we headed off for our team run in Ravenhill at 3pm.
Guy Noves called in all the guys to the middle of the pitch - as is his ritual - and gave his speech about Belfast being a city used to hardship and conflict. He referred to the Ulster team as having the same characteristics to the city it represents and told us to be prepared.
Match day. I woke up at 8.0 and had the breakfast. An hour and a half later I had the dinner, as the kick-off was at 1.30 and we're used to having lunch four hours before kick-off. It was a bit like D'Unbelievables - get up in the morning and have the breakfast, lunch and dinner so as to get a good run at the day. The usual pre-match meal was there, chicken and pasta, and salad. It was hard to swallow, as the result would be.
A walk around the hotel grounds was followed by the reve musculaire - literally "waking up the muscles". Then we headed off to the ground. The lads were happy, the sun was shining - perfect French conditions.
Going into the ground and walking from the bus to the changing-rooms I was warmly welcomed by a load of Ulster supporters - "How's it going Trevor?" "Best of luck Trevor."
It was, I have to say, genuinely warm, and it was always the same when I played with Leinster.
As you all know, we were three tries and 30-3 down by the end of the first half. Running in at half-time I was feeling numb. I couldn't believe this was happening.
When we got to the dressingroom there was silence for a few minutes. Then Guy spoke about our defence. In this game there's very little margin for errors. A player can be 20 centimetres off the pace or take their eye off the ball for a split second and it can result in a score. In this case, before you realise it, you can be 30 points down. The scoreless second half saw an improvement, but not nearly enough.
In hindsight, all I can say about the performance as individuals and as a team is that we do not go out there - as is so often reported - to deliberately not turn up. Toulouse always goes out to win: reaching finals and winning is our goal. Anything else is considered a failure. Maybe this expectation is backfiring on us a bit and is causing more pressure than we are willing to admit.
Expectations can hinder spontaneity and spirit. It's time for us to get back to basics, and to start enjoying our game more. Rebounding from this loss will be a test of our character as a team and as individuals. We know we have the talent and the experience. This weekend against London Irish we have to show our resilience.
Forget expectations. Most teams in this competition have the ability to win this European Cup, but only one will, and that is because they believe they can, not because others expect them to do so.
The journey home was tough. Let's just say there weren't too many autographs or photographs being sought. It reminded me of a quote from Seán Boylan's book, a saying that he'd picked up a few years ago: "When you win, you've 1,000 fathers. When you lose, you're like an orphan."
Jeff Dubois broke his cheekbone after an accidental clash of heads with me, and is out for two months; Frederic Michalak isn't back yet and Jean-Baptiste Elissalde's hamstring isn't right. Yannick Nyanga won't make it and Finau Maka might, or might not, be back.
As for myself, I doubt I'll be playing. I couldn't train all last week with a sciatic nerve problem. I can't even touch my toes. It was a gamble playing me last week.
I'D LIKE TO CONGRATULATE the Irish teams. Irish rugby is in a good state. Whatever they're doing, they're doing it right.
I also have to say it was one of the cleanest games I've ever played in.
The one altercation I had was with Justin Harrison when we nearly got into a fight. Whereas the Trevor Brennan of six or seven years ago probably would have lashed out, I thought to myself: 'Right Trev, don't lash out here. Don't start punching him. Here we are, 30 points down, and if I get a red card, what good will it do?'
I wasn't surprised to be cited two days later - I was shocked. Nobody came out of the game with injuries except poor Jeff.
We watched the video on Monday with the help of a local referee who we always work with. Yannick Jauzion's yellow card for a supposed spear tackle was very harsh, and none of us could figure out why Fabien Pelous was binned. Mistakes happen in all competitions. Sometimes the refs get it wrong. But for 20 minutes we played the game with 14 men.
It also seems extraordinary that in 12 matches, featuring 24 teams, three of the five players cited were from one team. So that's hanging over us too.
But the message Guy is getting across is that we're not to panic. He pointed out where the three tries came from.
We started to watch London Irish yesterday. Obviously they're a good side and have a bit of spirit about them if they could be 32-6 down going into the last quarter, and score three tries to earn themselves a bonus point.
They're now in the same boat as ourselves. Two teams facing into a must-win. Their competition could be over on Sunday; so could ours.
Like I said, it's going to be a test of our character as individuals and as a team.
Pretty sure we are not able to copywrite it Cobber and even if it was possible I don't think it would be right. I think you will find that the chant is used by a few teams in a variety of different sports and I wouldn't be sure who was first, possibly Arsenal football team (I am sure some brainiac will post shortly putting me right), hell if you can manage to crowbar the Western Force name into the chant then why not be the first is Oz to adopt it. In any case it will make us all feel at home when we are next at Subiacco
'Bout ye Cobber (Belfast speak for hello) and the rest of our newly adopted rugby family. If any of you care to fire up google earth and navigate your way to 54deg 34min 34.28sec north and 5deg 54min 13.74sec west you will see our beloved Ravenhill. Those co-ordinates will plonk you right on the spot where the Second Barrier Crew congregate. The place has been around for a while now and is starting to show it's age. There are plans afoot for a redevelopment but we shall have to wait and see. Somebody please reciprocate, I'd love to see where you guys play.
Mum
When the bottom has fallen out of your world.
Take Enos and let the world fall out of your bottom!
Thanks for this! AS for the Force, being the first professional rugby team in an Australian Rules Football (AFL) town in its first year, we've had to make do as far as a home ground goes. Currently we're at an AFL oval at Subiaco. It fits 40,000 odd. We averaged 28500 to a game in the first season - highest being 38000, lowest 24000 (I think?).
The other stadium we have used is Members Equity Stadium (MES) - home to the Perth soccer (we call it soccer here, no football - football by default means Australian Rules Football) team, Glory. Makes it the right shape, but only seats 18,000 (Glory only pull about 8000 a game). Saw Western Force -v- Samoa there earlier this year - its a great venue.
There are all sorts of politics going on with where we will eventually call home - I think redevelopment of MES to hold 35,000 + greater corporate facilities is what will eventuate. Otherwise we might end up with a multopurpose stadium with retractable seating and tom kite which will take years :S
MES and Ravers look much a like - MES used to be Perth Oval, pushing 100 years old! More info on it in the Austadiums links.
Anyways - co-ords below, also likes to the Google Maps on http://www.TheWholeForce.com and linsk to Austadiums which has info on all Australian stadia
G'Day Cobber... glad to see rugby expanding in Australia - I worked for 3 years in Melbourne and all that AFL did my head in...
A few questions... why did the S14 expansion team go to Perth rather than Melbourne? Melbourne is the larger city however does AFL have just too strong a hold there?
Also interested to know the type of fans that The Western Force are attracting... what proportion are exiled kiwis, saffies and even people from QLD and NSW who may have been rugby fans previously compared to the "converts" and WA natives where there hasn't been a big rugby tradition.
mikerob wrote:G'Day Cobber... glad to see rugby expanding in Australia - I worked for 3 years in Melbourne and all that AFL did my head in...
A few questions... why did the S14 expansion team go to Perth rather than Melbourne? Melbourne is the larger city however does AFL have just too strong a hold there?
Also interested to know the type of fans that The Western Force are attracting... what proportion are exiled kiwis, saffies and even people from QLD and NSW who may have been rugby fans previously compared to the "converts" and WA natives where there hasn't been a big rugby tradition.
There are no demographics freely available, but I'll keep hunting. I did have a contact who did the market research for the Force, but he's back in ole blighty now
In terms of why Super 14 came to Perth:
1. Geographic convenience, breaks up a dreaded tour to South Africa and truely spreads the game across Australia
2. Money! - Corporate sponsorship
3. Supporters base
4. Crowded market of professional sports in Victoria
5. Strong SA and NZ expat communities, drawn to the state by the mining industry.
We've already proved that the decision was correct in terms of points 2 and 3, we are the richest (in terms of sponsorship) and most supported (most members) Super 14 team in Australia.
During the bidding process, a couple rugby mums organised a rally which attracted over 5000 people - I think this tipped the balance in our favour. There is alos a bit of a dislike for Victoria as they have a habit of 'stealing' sporting events form other states. We're all pretty smug about winning over them actually
If I get a nationality breakdown, I'll get back with more info..
Cheers cobber - no need to go to any trouble - I was just interested in the type of supporters you get in WA and if you get many AFL "converts" or if a lot of people would actively support both the Force and the WA AFL teams.
I don;t think the New Zealand unions have them either, but the South Africans do, probably for the same reason as the League teams.
The proof is in the pic! 
