Final - New Zealand v Australia (29th March)

[Contra]

Cricket is the national sport of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, WI, Sri Lanka, and surely close to the top in SA and Australia. Rugby is played in a lot of countries, but it's a niche sport and no-one else obsesses over it to the point we do. It means more to win at cricket since it's a genuine priority in a lot of countries.

Uh what?

 

[Flem274*]

Predicting this match to be an all time Classic tbh. I guess its possible Australia could collapse badly though

plenty of bowlers who can cause collapses on both sides. someone will lose quick wickets at some point imo. will be heart in mouth stuff.

 

[GotSpin]

Cricket is the national sport of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, WI, Sri Lanka, and surely close to the top in SA and Australia. Rugby is played in a lot of countries, but it's a niche sport and no-one else obsesses over it to the point we do. It means more to win at cricket since it's a genuine priority in a lot of countries.

Cricket is number one in Australia.

 

[hendrix]

what a boring argument.

 

[wellAlbidarned]

Uh what?

Oh how could I forget about Hockey.

 

[wellAlbidarned]

what a boring argument.

also I'm wearing a pink Beatles shirt, black jeans, and navy chucks

 

[kiwiviktor81]

I wouldn't be surprised if the semifinal between India and Aussie got more viewers than the Soccer World Cup final between Germany and Argentina. It's true that cricket is pretty much a British Commonwealth sport, but 1) the British Commonwealth is farking huge and 2) where cricket is played, people tend to be fanatical about it.

 

[Flem274*]

also I'm wearing a pink Beatles shirt, black jeans, and navy chucks

i thought i saw a massive **** walking past my window

wasn't because of his fashion though. would bang.

 

[wellAlbidarned]

i thought i saw a massive **** walking past my window

wasn't because of his fashion though. would bang.

it's scary to think you might not even be joking

 

[Flem274*]

it's scary to think you might not even be joking

am i one to joke around?

 

[viriya]

Cricket is the national sport of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, WI, Sri Lanka, and surely close to the top in SA and Australia. Rugby is played in a lot of countries, but it's a niche sport and no-one else obsesses over it to the point we do. It means more to win at cricket since it's a genuine priority in a lot of countries.

SL's national sport is volleyball.

Don't ask why.

 

[kiwiviktor81]

Russell Arnold reckons that rugby's pretty big in Sri Lanka, only that people there aren't big enough to put together a team that can compete on the world stage.

 

[Zinzan]

cricket has five fanatical/national sport countries (india, pakistan, sri lanka, australia, bangladesh) and four second tier ones (NZ, south africa, windies and england). not sure about zimbabwe.

rugby has three fanatical countries and lots of second to third tier ones, unless you're really going to argue it's bigger than football in europe and latin america or cricket/AFL/league in aussie?

this isn't a knock on either sport, it's just how it has panned out. rugby has a harder time than cricket because it runs during the football season and nothing can take on football and win. it's still an awesome sport outside crappy tacky super rugby.

I'd like to see your sources on that. I have heard people for example argue Rugby is bigger in England than cricket, even though cricket is listed is England's national sport over soccer (and we know which is more popular).

Also If you'e going to claim countries like Sri Lanka & Bangladesh, who effectively play nothing else, then I'll claim Samoa, Fiji, Tonga etc in Rugby.

For me the most telling factor is the respective world rankings. In Rugby you have a side like Italy, currently ranked 15th in the world. Italy wouldn't beat the All Blacks or SA, but have polished many of other top 5 sides. Now can you give me the equivalent 15th ranked cricket team in the world?

Argument over.

 

[Flem274*]

noted country that cares about rugby italy

we had the 15th best cricket country here and all the minnows put the ****s up some top teams apart from the UAE, who are probably 16th.

edit - can't do mathes. 14 team world cup wasn't it

edit 2 - or spell

 

[Zinzan]

Cricket is the national sport of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, WI, Sri Lanka, and surely close to the top in SA and Australia. Rugby is played in a lot of countries, but it's a niche sport and no-one else obsesses over it to the point we do. It means more to win at cricket since it's a genuine priority in a lot of countries.

Haha, you really should research before you blurt stuff out.

If you're talking official 'national sports', both Pakistan and India are actually listed as Hockey (even though I'm happy to agree cricket is bigger).

SA is either listed as soccer (due to the black population) or rugby, not cricket.

But I'll give you Australia....well done

 

[Athlai]

I'd like to see your sources on that. I have heard people for example argue Rugby is bigger in England than cricket, even though cricket is listed is England's national sport over soccer (and we know which is more popular).

Also If you'e going to claim countries like Sri Lanka & Bangladesh, who effectively play nothing else, then I'll claim Samoa, Fiji, Tonga etc in Rugby.

For me the most telling factor is the respective world rankings. In Rugby you have a side like Italy, currently ranked 15th in the world. Italy wouldn't beat the All Blacks or SA, but have polished many of other top 5 sides. Now can you give me the equivalent 15th ranked cricket team in the world?

Argument over.

I think the Dutch are ranked 16 or 17th now. Kenya below them too.

 

[viriya]

@HaydosTweets
Even though the #MCGsobig the Hobbits @BLACKCAPS will still feel the impact of 98 000 passionate @CricketAus fans. #5 WC's coming up!!!

Oh no he din't

 

[Athlai]

Oh no he din't

Number 5 World Cup's coming up!!!

Genuine oxygen thief.

 

[wellAlbidarned]

Haha, you really should research before you blurt stuff out.

If you're talking official 'national sports', both Pakistan and India are actually listed as Hockey (even though I'm happy to agree cricket is bigger).

SA is either listed as soccer (due to the black population) or rugby, not cricket.

But I'll give you Australia....well done

Yeah look I already knew that but it doesn't take half a brain to realise their classification is three decades out of date. Cricket is the national sport of India and Pakistan now. SA I did concede wasn't clear cut.

 

[Flem274*]

anyway i think we can all agree the cricket world cup drowning out super rugby is a great thing. long live international rugby and the NPC/ITM Cup (will always be the NPC to me)