Sports rivalries can bring out the best and the worst in people. You might find yourself accidentally hugging someone on the opposite side of the political spectrum, just because you both barrack for Collingwood. Anyone who is not with you is against you during a heated game.
To get you in the mood for our next screening, we compiled a list of some of the most famous sports rivalries.
Collingwood vs Carlton – probably the most publicised AFL rivalry is the one that started in 1892 between blue collar Collingwood and white collar Carlton. Wikipedia unbiasedly informs us the two teams played each other in finals six times. Carlton won five of those finals.
Barcelona vs Real Madrid – OK, this one is not in Australia, but you don’t have to live in Europe, be into soccer, or even into sport, to have heard about this historic rivalry. When they face each other, it’s not just a soccer match; their annual confrontations are now known as El Clásico – arguably the most awaited match of the year.
Melbourne Victory vs Melbourne City – This is the rivalry that The New Daily calls the ‘ultimate rivalry in Australian sport‘ – each game between the two teams brings to the stadium around 50,000 eager fans.
The Ashes – this cricket test is between historic rivals Australia and England. Why is it called the Ashes? After Australia won the test in 1882, a sporting newspaper wrote that the body of English cricket had been “cremated and the remains taken to Australia”. The Ashes urn may or may not contain the remains of the burnt cricket ball.
Muhammad Ali vs Joe Frazier aka The Fight of the Century – this one’s an oldie, but it lives on in many people’s memories, even if only through hearsay. What was so unforgettable about this fight? For the first time, two previously undefeated boxers were facing each other. And one for the quizmasters. Who won? Joe Frazier in 15 rounds.
You really don’t have to be into sports at all to enjoy the spectacle behind these rivalries. We hope they have you ready for the international soccer fan immersion we have in store for you next Saturday. Vuvuzelas might be a bit much for the space, but you can whistle to your hearts’ content.
Next Saturday, 5pm on 16 June at the Loop Project Space and Bar, we are screening ZG80, a film about the legendary rivalry between Dinamo Zagreb and Red Star Belgrade. Buy your tickets for our next screening.