Northern hospitality sets high bar for tour
Herald reporter Heath Moore is spending five weeks in a campervan following the fans following the Lions tour
The touring fans have so far on this tour at least — gone a long way to debunking the theory that Lions rugby supporters are the most vocal in the world.
You could have heard a pin drop at Toll Stadium if you sat among the Lions fans on Saturday night.
For all the pre-match entertainment in Whangarei you’d think the fans would have been well revved up come kick-off. And to be fair the fans packed the pubs and created a buzz around the city.
But that’s where it all ended. Inside the gates the fans sat in near silence. Only twice did I hear a muffled “LIONS, LIONS” chant coming from the Red Army. Cricket’s Barmy Army would be shaking their heads in disbelief. Out-sung and out-played.
I couldn’t help but ask Lions fans about their lack of enthusiasm during the game. I received a surprisingly honest response.
“It’s so early on in the tour. A lot of people are still jet-lagged. The fact booze prices were hiked up meant nobody was in the chanting spirit. We enjoy a singalong much more when we’ve had a few brews in us,” one fan explained.
I’ll cut the touring fans some slack though — The Lions gave their army nothing to smile about. It was an effort the fans simply didn’t deserve.
But I tip my hat to Whangarei. Lions fans told stories of locals inviting them out on to their fishing boat while others offered up free beds and even the use of their car around town.
Minus the weather, Whangarei couldn’t have put on friendlier faces and a warmer welcome.
As the sun rose on Sunday the Red Army emerged from their camper vans with tired eyes, but all smiling.
“Kia ora”, they wave — already picking up on the Maori language. Just a few days in the tour has been a magical infusion of two different flavours of culture.
While I complain about their lack of antics at the Barbarians game I must remind myself this trip isn’t about us and any predetermined judgments of the Lions — it’s about the Red Army and creating a magical experience for our brothers.
Where to next? Many head north while others travel to Auckland before the Lions clash with the Blues.
If Whangarei is the benchmark then Auckland has a tough act to follow.
HWatch the video at nzherald.co.nz