Rivalry a great sport driver

EVERY Saturday the team talks about the big issues in sport locally, nationally and internationally.

Sean is enjoying a well deserved mini holiday so it’s just Glen and Jason in the hot seat.

Today the dynamic duo are talking all about their favourite rivalries.

Jason Gibbs: Rivalries don’t get any bigger than Boca Juniors and River Plate.

Matches between the two sides are always heated – earlier this week the Copa Libertadores match between the sides was postponed after players on a team bus were injured – but I believe the ‘football environment’ in South America is very different so I can’t relate.

I’m a massive Tottenham fan and I always mark after games against Arsenal on my calendar but again that’s different because I don’t feel it’s any bigger than most London derbies.

So when it comes to sport the rivalry I love the most is Australia and New Zealand.

Clashes between our two nations are always fiercely competitive with very little separating us – unless of course we’re talking about rugby but let’s not go there.

I love the fact there’s always a great deal of passion between us and it doesn’t matter if it’s league, soccer, cricket, netball or lawn bowls.

Both nations want to get one over their rivals “from across the ditch” and they’re willing to

do just about to secure that win. That’s a great rivalry in my book.

Glen McCullough: There are two types of rivalries.

First we have traditional rivals.

They are the clubs or teams that must have engaged in fierce battles many moons ago and somehow or other that immense feeling between them has been passed on from generation to generation.

Some are that old that people probably don’t even know what fuelled them in the first place.

Then we have personal rivalries individuals and clubs are locked in to be the best of their generation.

Gibbo has already pointed to the Australia-New Zealand thing.

How good is it when our two countries compete for anything. Evidence also points to rivalries — both traditional and personal — as being a great weapon for the “underdogs”.

There is no better example than New Zealand.

Except for the All Blacks, the Kiwis would be considered underdogs in almost any sport meeting with Australia.

But that seems to be the motivation which lifts their spirit and performance to allow them to punch so far and above their weight.

It’s something that doesn’t work in reverse for Australia.