Football - Australian Style

Football in Australia refers to Rugby.  Rugby is growing in the US, but it is comparable to the NFL in the US including all the scandals surrounding our NFL stars.  Funny that no matter how far one travels, we all seem to have the same issues.

Suzan had promised me a rugby game.  She offered a chance to go to a professional game - or go and and watch her grandsons play.  I know from watching my nephew Ray play, there is nothing better than a day with family watching our kids/grand kids play football, lacrosse or rugby.

So off to football we went.  Suzan's grandsons Tanner and Carter were playing.  It was a lovely park with a nice concession area with real bathrooms (no port-o-potties) and something I think every high school sports game should have - a coffee truck serving a wide range of coffees, cappuccinos, lattes and hot chocolate.  We had it all, comfy folding chairs, umbrellas to hold back the sun, great seats on the 50 yard line and lattes.

Rugby is different in that a ball can be thrown latterly or backwards but not forward.  Someone tried to explain the difference between league rugby, which apparently we were watching, versus some other type of rugby.  Obviously I really understood what they were saying.  Apparently one differentiation is when a runner is tackled, if he (or she - girls play rugby with the boys) kicks the ball back to a team member, that means it is league rugby.  In the other type (which I still don't remember the name) once tackled, the ball goes to the other team.  Needless to say, it was fun to watch.  Tanner's team won by a significant margin.  Carter's team, which one it's championship last year, moved up to the next level so this was their first game playing different teams.  They lost - but by only two points, which their mom, Danielle, thought was pretty good.

Needless to say, it was a really fun day and felt like a day at home with my sister Cindy, her hubbie Steven and my nephew Ray. 

From there we headed home with Danielle and Brady, Suzan's daughter and her oldest grandson.  Danielle and Brady are going to Canada in June for a softball tournament, then heading south to NYC for a few days.  We had a fun time sitting on the veranda talking about New York.  Any of you who know me are not surprised that I spent my time on the computer looking up hotels and tours for them while we chatted and when we finished I emailed a long list of links to help them plan their trip.  A shout out to my sister Cindy who has taught me so much about planning and traveling, which allowed me to give Danielle lots of good information.

We finished the day by going to see the "trotters".  Horse racing.  I am fascinated by Australia's love of horse races and gambling.  I don't think there is anything the Australian's won't bet on, I find it so amazing to see commercials for betting on just about anything.  What I find the most amazing?  The clubs owned and run by the Catholic Church!  So imagine in the US walking into a club to buy drinks, eat food, play the slots, bet on horse and dog races all owned and run by the Catholic Church.  Suzan was telling me that they close on Good Friday and Christmas Day, but did not close when the Pope died, which she found surprising.  Supposedly they take a portion of the proceeds and give it to charities and/or the poor.  My comment was - the poor created by they gambling clubs?!?!

The "trotters" was a really fun time.  We sat on the lawn and there was a festival going on that reminded me of a small version of Taste of Colorado.  All kinds of food stands and trucks along with vendors selling artisan crafts.  It was the first cool night and it was just lovely as the sun went down and the lights came on.  Probably 40% of the stands were Asian and I finally settled on a Vietnamese noodle bowl and their version of crab wontons.  Quite good.  Suzan got chicken wings with honey mustard glaze.  So far the chicken wings I've had here are like double the size of our wings - so plump and quite delicious.

We watched about 6 races and enjoyed picking the horses I thought would win.  The one horse I picked that won - Picard!  How could Picard not win?!?!  The horses are smaller than the big race horses we saw at Rosehill.  Overall, what a lovely evening.  Tomorrow - day of rest and blogging.

Picard - make it so!