To Support Your Home Town, Or Your Adopted City?

Welsh connections
By Siani
October 17 2005

Am I a Tyke or a Blue? This dilemma has really come about due to our Heineken Cup draw and in particular drawing with Cardiff Blues. I'm Cardiff born and bred, my family all still live in Cardiff and I would still be there now if it wasn't for falling in love - but that's a whole different article!

I feel passionate about Cardiff Rugby. Welsh teams in general in fact. Come to think of it, Wales and all things rugby are very important to me, and I've always been a Cardiff fan. 

 

So, on moving to Leeds, when we happened upon a game at Kirkstall - it was Leeds RUFC v London Welsh - I thought things were absolutely perfect and that's where it all started.  From there on, week after week, we'd go and watch Leeds, traveling to Lydney, Exeter, Liverpool St Helens, Waterloo and some other choice place! The club we followed from that day grew into Leeds Tykes and to the Premiership and Powergen Cup winners we love of today. 

 

However, I've always kept a keen eye on Cardiff and gone to matches whenever I could whilst visiting family.

 

Then, the fateful day came as it was bound to happen sooner or later; the Tykes were drawn in the same Heineken Cup pool as the now re-branded Cardiff Blues. So now what? Support Cardiff?  Support Leeds? Support both? The dilemma of it! 

 

I've tried being rational about it, I've tried to dismiss one team along the lines of "I don't live in Cardiff any more, my home is in Leeds, so it's Leeds I should be supporting."  But there's something pulling me back, something that goes against the grain if I turn my back on one team for another.

 

So, maybe you readers can help me. Here are the arguments for both sides: 

 

Cardiff Blues: Cardiff born and bred, childhood team, went to the same school as some of the players (e.g. Nicky Robinson) and all my family will all be supporting Cardiff.

 

Leeds Tykes: This is my home, this is where I live and this is the team I’ve supported for over 10 years now.  I'm a season ticket holder, a member of LRUFC and this is also the team I’ve supported through thick and thin, good games and bad (some very bad!).  This is also the team I’ve seen winning the Powergen Cup!

 

So, it’s make your mind up time for me, and its closing in on Saturday. Which one is it to be - it’s not as if I can wait and decide when one team is doing better than the other as it’s the first game in the pool!! 

 

Decisions, decisions…

 

The indecisive female strikes again!

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