Rachin -The Kiwi wonderkid

[RossTaylorsBox]

A good way to prevent racist NZ sledging is to key some cars after the game.

Yes I am insane why do you ask

 

[thierry henry]

Massive thing in lower grades with player umpires is the stereotype of Indian teams never giving anyone out. As if us whiteys aren't doing the same thing too. Like I know I don't need to explain to y'all that racism is bad but ugh, it's infuriating.

 

[silentstriker]

Cricket's very culturally ingrained in Australia. Lots of people claim to hate it but people kind of know what's going in on the home Tests to an extent even if they don't like watching it, especially if it's against India or England. Football codes are bigger but cricket dominates the summer psyche.

Participation is absolutely tanking though.

That's sad. Really? As in youth participation?

 

[Prince EWS]

That's sad. Really? As in youth participation?

Yeah. CA is fudging the numbers in some weird ways too.

 

[mr_mister]

Massive thing in lower grades with player umpires is the stereotype of Indian teams never giving anyone out. As if us whiteys aren't doing the same thing too. Like I know I don't need to explain to y'all that racism is bad but ugh, it's infuriating.

Yeah there's so much hypocrisy and racism in lower grade club cricket I had to quit over it. There was a huge argument between someone every match

 

[Bahnz]

Yeah. CA is fudging the numbers in some weird ways too.

Same is true in NZ, especially at the secondary school level. Per capita participation rates have halved over the past decade.

 

[Fuller Pilch]

Numbers in primary school and beginners level cricket (soft ball, modified rules, batting in pairs etc.) took off after the 2015 CWC. That cohort of kids (if retained through into hard ball) will be going into High School about now or in the next couple of years.

 

[Bahnz]

Numbers in primary school and beginners level cricket (soft ball, modified rules, batting in pairs etc.) took off after the 2015 CWC. That cohort of kids (if retained through into hard ball) will be going into High School about now or in the next couple of years.

Overall numbers are way down from 2010 as well - they've collapsed from about 105,000 to 68,000. And I haven't heard any actual evidence suggesting there's an imminent wave of secondary school cricketers coming through.

Stuff

www.stuff.co.nz

Before I sound too doom and gloom, most sports in NZ face a similar problem. Rugby participation has collapsed quite substantially over the past decade (though obviously from a much higher base). It's only really social sports like volley ball and indoor soccer that are making any ground (queue kippax grumbling about pampered Gen Zers being unwilling to participate in any physical activity that takes place outdoors). Oh and basketball of course.

 

[Chubb]

One of mine from 6 years ago.

Stuff

www.stuff.co.nz

 

[Fuller Pilch]

Overall numbers are way down from 2010 as well - they've collapsed from about 105,000 to 68,000. And I haven't heard any actual evidence suggesting there's an imminent wave of secondary school cricketers.

A lot of them might've quit when they realised hitting 6s isn't as easy as McCullum made it look in that tournament. And even some pretty talented sporty kids can struggle with learning to bowl or even batting 'properly'.

 

[Meridio]

As mentioned by Bahnz though it's a bit of a global phenomenon, participation in team sports has dropped significantly in recent years. In contrast numbers doing individual exercise, running, gyms etc has increased. Cue handwavy explanation of people these days being selfish and unwilling to commit to a team because it might disrupt their ability to do things for themselves

 

[Bahnz]

As mentioned by Bahnz though it's a bit of a global phenomenon, participation in team sports has dropped significantly in recent years. In contrast numbers doing individual exercise, running, gyms etc has increased. Cue handwavy explanation of people these days being selfish and unwilling to commit to a team because it might disrupt their ability to do things for themselves

Also in general, people's lives becoming more atomised and having fewer friends/relationships. What a wonderful/horrible time to be alive.

 

[hendrix]

Fewer people going/planning to go into a career as a professional sportsperson is probably a good thing, overall.

Not sure how much that has to do with amateur participation.

But in general australian and nz culture has placed way too much emphasis on sport.

 

[Meridio]

Also in general, people's lives becoming more atomised and having fewer friends/relationships. What a wonderful/horrible time to be alive.

Thing is of course team sports are one of the best ways to meet people and make friends. Though admittedly it can be hard with certain sports cultures, and some clubs are classic old boys clubs and notoriously hard to break into as an outsider

 

[bill8164]

Thing is of course team sports are one of the best ways to meet people and make friends. Though admittedly it can be hard with certain sports cultures, and some clubs are classic old boys clubs and notoriously hard to break into as an outsider

Can completely agree with this in Auckland, a few years ago, I wanted to join a cricket club as a real beginner, who hadn't played much cricket before but was eager to try. Gave up trying as I didn't get much of a response.

 

[NZTailender]

As mentioned by Bahnz though it's a bit of a global phenomenon, participation in team sports has dropped significantly in recent years. In contrast numbers doing individual exercise, running, gyms etc has increased. Cue handwavy explanation of people these days being selfish and unwilling to commit to a team because it might disrupt their ability to do things for themselves

Honestly I think it might be a rich/poor thing.

Amount of uni students I know who go to the gym but also work a lot of hours outside of study. I'd be surprised if they had regular fixed free time for organised sports, but squeeze in going to the gym where they can.

Anecdotal evidence of course. We had one student transfer from Auckland to Dunedin simply because rent is cheaper there and he'd work less and have more time to pursue his rugby aspirations.

 

[Meridio]

Fewer people going/planning to go into a career as a professional sportsperson is probably a good thing, overall.

Not sure how much that has to do with amateur participation.

But in general australian and nz culture has placed way too much emphasis on sport.

Yeah I agree with this in general and in recent years have really come around to the idea that top level sport doesn't really matter and has far too much importance placed on it, but community sport is incredibly important and has an enormous role to play in society in lots of different ways. I was a bit facetious in the post above about individual exercise but certainly one of the appeals of it that I always hear from those people who do it is that they can do it when they want. No regular Thursday trainings, Saturday games etc, nothing to commit to. Which I think probably does say something about modern society and all that but I cbf writing a long post about it, I'm still pretending to be at work.

I do think NZ culture places way too much emphasis on sport too, though paradoxically one of the things I like about NZ is that we play sport. But the downside of it is other kinds of achievements tend to get shoved to the side

 

[Meridio]

Can completely agree with this in Auckland, a few years ago, I wanted to join a cricket club as a real beginner, who hadn't played much cricket before but was eager to try. Gave up trying as I didn't get much of a response.

Yep, similarly I came back to NZ after years overseas (where I did play), went to trainings and played a few games for a club when I got back here. Nobody was the slightest bit interested and after a few weeks I decided I had better things to do. It's very common in New Zealand I think. The difference between them and my sports clubs in London is just night and day.

 

[Meridio]

Honestly I think it might be a rich/poor thing.

Amount of uni students I know who go to the gym but also work a lot of hours outside of study. I'd be surprised if they had regular fixed free time for organised sports, but squeeze in going to the gym where they can.

Anecdotal evidence of course. We had one student transfer from Auckland to Dunedin simply because rent is cheaper there and he'd work less and have more time to pursue his rugby aspirations.

Yes also anecdotally I've heard similar. And team sports have become extremely expensive too.

 

[Fuller Pilch]

Honestly I think it might be a rich/poor thing.

Amount of uni students I know who go to the gym but also work a lot of hours outside of study. I'd be surprised if they had regular fixed free time for organised sports, but squeeze in going to the gym where they can.

Anecdotal evidence of course. We had one student transfer from Auckland to Dunedin simply because rent is cheaper there and he'd work less and have more time to pursue his rugby aspirations.

Much less travel time to lectures, the gym, practices etc. too