NFL Fans Could Learn Something From South African Rugby Fans

Just about every weekend during the NFL season a video pops up online of NFL fans assaulting fans of the other team. Sometimes it occurs during the game, sometimes after, and sometimes in the parking lot before the game even starts. There have even been altercations in the bathroom--the freaking bathroom!

It's horrible. As much as NFL fans have become enamored with the possibility of converting other rugby players to NFL players--like Jarryd Hayne--there is something else NFL fans should take from rugby first--sportsmanship.

via the42

One of the greatest sports tournaments in the world, the Rugby World Cup, began over the weekend. One of the first matches featured one of the best teams in the world, South Africa, and the team from Japan. The Japanese team doesn't suck, but there is no way in the world it should have been able to hang with the South Africans.

They did better than just hang with them, They completed the most improbable and probably greatest upset in World Cup history by beating South Africa 34-32.

If it was an NFL game several videos would have popped up online with fans assaulting fans in anger over the loss, but it wasn't the NFL. It was rugby. Instead take their anger and frustration out on Japanese fans, South African fans showed them respect:

Train pulls into Brighton, SA fans insist Japan supporters get off first, give them a guard of honour and cheer them off. Amazing day.

— Olly Barratt (@ollybarratt) September 19, 2015

via Twitter

Incredible--and exactly how it should be. Well done rugby fans. Well done indeed.

[Want to see the go-ahead try scored?]



[SAPeople.com]

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