Crusaders need noisy home fans
Crusaders supporters need to make some noise this weekend as the benefits of a home advantage are backed up by research.
The Canterbury side will face the Chiefs in the Super Rugby Aotearoa 2021 final on Saturday and, having finished top of the table, the game will be played at Christchurch’s Orangetheory Stadium.
Sports fans had long known the difference a home crowd could make but University of Canterbury (UC) sports psychology lecturer Dr Brad Miles said recent studies showed it could even help to win a game.
Players’ familiarity with their local venue and having less travel-related fatigue were contributing factors, he said. But as well as being ‘‘motivating and energising’’ for the team, home supporters could even help sway a referee on 50/50 decisions, Miles said.
‘‘Certain players report enjoying playing at home, they feel more confident, and they appreciate having that crowd support,’’ he said.
‘‘The Crusaders have won almost 60 per cent of all their matches, but when playing at home that number is over 80 per cent. So even a consistently successful team like the Crusaders has greater success when playing at home.’’
Overseas research published in the Economic Letters journal had showed crowds provided extra pressure when players performed in public, Miles said.
‘‘Think about the heightened nerves and anxiety many people experience with public speaking. For skilled performers, this extra stimulation can actually improve performance.’’
The noise of a home crowd could even influence the referee, as they unconsciously tried to fit in.
Miles – who is a Crusaders supporter and will be watching the game from the stands with his family – said fans needed to be ‘‘loud and vocal’’ on Saturday night.
‘‘A full, noisy stadium might have some impact on what takes place on the field.’’
One person who knew the benefits of a home crowd was Kiwi running legend Dick Tayler, who won gold in the 1974 Commonwealth Games in Christchurch. Tayler, now 72, said he was ‘‘carried along’’ in the last mile of the 10,000 metres by the local support he received.
Tayler, the former president of the Canterbury Rugby Supporters Club, would also be in the crowd on Saturday and said he hoped it would be a sell-out event.
‘‘For the players to run out on the field and [see] the stadium is packed, I reckon that’s huge.’’