Attending a rugby match is something everyone tells you to do in Ireland, and so we went to one. I'm lucky enough to understand the basic rules of rugby, and I was really looking forward to seeing a match in person. It was a fun night, not too cold, we had a fun group of people, and for the most part being in the stands with the "real fans" was fun.
Even though it was overall a fun night, we did have a bit of a run in with, for lack of a better word, a true fan. Since rugby really isn't popular in the US, we weren't well-versed in the rules and expectations of being a member of the Leinster crowd. Since we're not clueless idiots, we soon caught on that we weren't supposed to talk during kicks from either side; it was cool to hear the entire stadium go quiet. However, we did engage in some casual conversations during the game, a fact that one fan sitting in front of us apparently found quite offensive. I've been to quite a few sporting events in my time, and I've never encountered a sport where fans are expected to be silent during an eighty minute game (or match. whatever). The man sitting in front of us, who ignored his wife and two children the entire game and barely even cheered with his fellow fans, turned to us and told us: "I would never disrespect a sporting event like this in your country", or something along those lines. He then proceeded to move himself and his family two rows ahead of us and subsequently give us dirty looks for the rest of the game.
I was shocked, and a bit insulted. Is he kidding me? Does he expect 17,000 to be completely silent for eighty minutes? No. Actually, he said nothing to the men sitting directly next to him who, throughout the course of the match, I overheard discussing laundry, doctors appointments, and which pub they would hit up after the game. This didn't seem to bother Mr. Superfan in the least; I can only conclude that it was our nationality that truly bothered him. Perhaps he didn't appreciate our lack of knowledge about the sport and the players, or felt our mere presence at the stadium was somehow mocking or belittling his own appreciation for the team. I really can't say why he was so offended by us in particular. I also can't really say how the situation would have panned out if the roles were reversed and it had happened in America. There isn't really a sport where a fan would be so offended by chatter in the stands.
This is one of the first run-ins I've had with xenophobic attitudes. I really can't wrap my head around how someone could get so upset by a group of people enjoying themselves at a sporting event.
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