A TALE OF TWO TRIBES
Ahh, weekend sport.
The time-honoured tradition of rugging up for rugby. Standing on the sidelines with a sausage sizzle in your hand as you drip sauce down your front and smear it around a bit with a cheap, nasty serviette. It does not matter what you look like. You are a rugby mum and the sauce is a badge of honour.
Or is it?
Kim & Kath, Prue & Trude… which tribe are you?
It all comes down to whom you play for. And I have recently been exposed to both the Kath & Kim and the Prue & Trude school of spectating.
The weekend just gone saw me observing my nephew’s team playing Rugby. The sausage sizzle had been consumed and I must admit, the hosting club was well aware about the onion/sausage ratio. Not too much, not too little, but just right. I also appreciated the freshness of the bread. It is the little things that make all the difference.
The game started and my attention was not on the ball, but on the sideline activity.
My nephew plays for a team from an area of Sydney famed for drive-by shootings and cannabis cultivation. The parents of the players favoured tracksuits and thongs, as well as smoking and drinking Coke. I hung out with these parents and was impressed with their passion and knowledge of the game.
The team we were playing were of more refined behaviour, with their supporters decked out in GANT and COUNTRY ROAD and CASHMERE.
They preferred a quieter type of encouragement, politely clapping and sharing lovely anecdotes of weekend skiing trips and boating activities between tries.
People-watching is always one of the most fascinating thing you can do when you are slightly bored, and I made some generalised observations on the scenario.
Dogs are a must at a rugby game. The Kath & Kim canines are of mixed breed and are leash-less, running around sniffing crotches and eating abandoned sausage sizzles. The Prue & Trude dogs are small, are of breeds ending in “oodle” and are on tartan leashes. And a lot of them are white.
Did you know that rat-tails did not die out in the 80s? In fact they were alive and well on the Kath & Kim side of the field. Really, really long ones, either plaited, free flowing, or even cheekily popping out of a MONSTER FLAT CAP.
The Prue & True preferred hairstyle is a bob. Full stop. No further correspondence is to be entered into.
The names being shouted onto the field were also well defined in style. There was Jayden, Brayden, Blayde, Caden, Cruise, Swayze and… Barry.( Not really, I made that last one up.) On the other team there was William, Will and Billy.
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30 Responses to this article
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Alice Shaw August 28, 2012
Not sure about my tribe… a bit like I was in high school I think, not in the cool gang but not a complete nerd. Although my single parent status does seem to put in me into a “special” group.
My ex husband recently informed my children that I am in fact, a bogan. He based this knowledge on our recent move to the Blue Mountains. He told the children in hushed, horrified tones* that he had, in the past heard me speak like a bogan!! The horror!!!
In the mountains the tribes seem to consist of those who live in certain areas who think they’re a bit posh and those who join alien abduction support groups (true story).
*I don’t really know what tones he used but this is how I imagined it
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MadamBipolar August 28, 2012
LOL. I am from Lithgow and can confirm the abductor story. That’s how I ended up in Bathurst.
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Airdre August 28, 2012
my tribe is so suss. I’m a Kiwi. We walk around going nyah nyah nyah Bledisloe Cup! Boo yeah! Oh and by the way, love those sheep jokes! keep ‘em coming! The lamer the better, we never tire of them….. ah yes what was the score hmmm 22-nil…
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foolio August 28, 2012
We accidentally moved to the eastern suburbs 13 years ago (a bit like when Richard E. Grant and Paul McGann accidentally went on holiday in ‘Withnail & I’), leaving behind inner west Sydney. We still don’t quite fit in here, but there’s a ‘lost tribe’ of us over this way – a bit creative, a bit left (or just centre?), and sometimes a bit horrified…
(Speaking of which – the new hairdresser went postal and gave me a ‘bob’ two weeks ago…I’ll just have to muss it up.) -
scandi.coast.home August 28, 2012
Hi Mrs Woog,
I built a weatherboard house in a daggy old suburban street. I LoVe my neighbours. They’re like family ;o)
I drive a 1996 model Ford Fairmont Station Wagon which we call the ‘Millenium Falcon’ because it glints silver in the sunlight as we drive over the hill……always talkin’ it up ;o)
I grew up in Tronta (Toronto Newcastle if you’re not from there) so I guess I’m a bit of a bogan when I’m not paying attention……
Have a great day!!!
Tania xx -
MadamBipolar August 28, 2012
Am carn. On Saturday we took over part of the foreshore with a campervan and a fire and freaked out when the cops turned up. Turns out the cop was using the public toilet.
We then dragged the BBQ over from Mrs Paige’s and burnt steak, while I drank a Cooper’s Birrell, a wheat-flavoured soft drink. Because I can’t drink! What kind of a carn does that make me?
The kids were down on the riverbank, gathering wood for the fire. We had four staffies, a staffie cattledog and a big black dog and they kept fighting. To with the blokes would yell: “Cut it out!”
Oh and Mr P, a lawyer amongst carn, gave me advice on how to avoid DOCS taking away my child.
Classy. -
Sonia @ Natural New Age Mum August 28, 2012
Very funny Mrs Woog. I work in a kitchen-store and try really hard NOT to be a Trude/Prue!! LOL
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Mumabulous August 28, 2012
The accruements of the Eastern beaches Mum;
- Harem pants
- Birkenstocks
- Designer labelled sunglasses (most likely knock offs bought in Bali)
- A pram with a coffee tray
- Gym membership
- A big arsed 4WD
Love Mumabulous-
foolio August 28, 2012
Thanks Mumabulous… am relieved to say that while I am an accidental Eastern Beaches mum (see above) I meet none of those criteria! I feel better now…
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Mrs Sabbatical August 28, 2012
Entertaining! I love people watching and it often makes me think about what tribe I am in. I don’t know? I live in a major hipster area but refuse to wear clogs and Metallicus (our school mum wardrobe), I grew up in the country but don’t wear blundstones or RMs, originally from SA I refuse to wear flannel… I think there must be a tribe for the sort-of-trendy-mostly-daggy-loves-jeans-but-sometimes-looks-like-a-man-in-drag. That’s my tribe – emily xx
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foolio August 28, 2012
Oh jeepers, now I have to worry about Metallicus too! (I only have one piece…honest)
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Louise from Brighton August 28, 2012
Love this article and definitely fit more into the “bob haircut” tribe rather than the “rat tail” tribe but I am a mother always on the sidelines of childrens sport. My tribe however all have long usually blonde hair with layers, a must and have dogs of a generally larger breed, ladradors, golden retrievers etc, and instead of the early morning snag in bread are far more likely to be seen eating bacon and egg rolls and sipping on the mandatory cappucino! What does that say about my tribe? I hate to think!
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sam August 28, 2012
Very funny Mrs Woog. I love watching my son play soccer on a saturday morning. We play for an inner west (sydney)club and as my son is only in under sevens very rarely meet people from different clubs. I have noticed though when we do that there are teams that seem to have been dipped in the fountain of soccer at birth and whose parents take it all so very seriously. At these matches there is usually a bit of sledging between the two sides, mostly them calling us a bunch of losers (we only won once this season, but we are always gracious) and then a couple of our kids who are a bit over emotional either decking one of them or running off the pitch in tears or both. So far both sets of parents have restrained themselves from waying in and biffing/shouting at said offenders, but I do wonder about when we are playing under 8′s.
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Emily August 28, 2012
Entertaining! I love people watching and it often makes me think about what tribe I am in. I don’t know? I live in a major hipster area but refuse to wear clogs and Metallicus (our school mum wardrobe), I grew up in the country but don’t wear blundstones or RMs, originally from SA I refuse to wear flannel… I think there must be a tribe for the sort-of-trendy-mostly-daggy-loves-jeans-but-sometimes-looks-like-a-man-in-drag. That’s my tribe – emily xx(apologies if this posted twice)
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Jo-Anne August 28, 2012
This is a good one wong…. Each to their own hey! Our daughter plays netball. I was warned when she was 5/6 “Don’t join netball – the bitches will kill you”. (subsequently she played soccer for 2 years ) … but hey she joined as a netta when 9… & since then, I’ve seen it all. The white doodle … the brown doodle…. the tartan “dog jacket’ thank you & the bling collar… But mostly I see “mums” (& Dads) being there for their girls. I don’t see a lot of individuality out there… most belong to the blind consumerism tribe of whats “perceived” as good this season. I work, I hang @ home a bit cause I love my home & it’s surrounds – I also confess to being on the Northern Beaches – born in Manly Hospital 52 years ago… Hell the changes from being wild & free to be free with same same (huge tribe) life long friends…. to what it is today! Philosophically I guess your tribe is … those on the same wave length, known or not. cheers but god I just love Kath n Kymmy – hilarious
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Nikki @ Styling You August 28, 2012
I’m from the Parko tribe, a not so rare and endangered species in their natural habitat of Maryborough in regional Queensland.
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Birdy August 28, 2012
Stereotypes are such fun, aren’t they? Except when they aren’t. I’ve often wondered what tribe I belonged to as I was one of those “new Australians” and grew up feeling like I never fitted in anywhere.
One Saturday I caught a reflection of Prue & Twudy in the car window and had to go back inside to discard the heavy straw hat with faded rose circa 1990 and baker’s basket for a baseball cap and bunch of green bags.
Louse-from-Brighton, I think P&T’s are getting to be 60+ these days; your blonde cohort with the big dogs are likely to be the daughters of P&Ts. I recently read David Brooks’ “Bobos in Paradise” and recognised myself as a wanna-be-Bobo. I can recommend it as an entertaining, light thought-provoking read. It’s American of course, but a lot of it translates. It was published in 2000, and I’m wondering what impact the shifting economic playing field is having on the tribal values of the spectators on the sidelines. -
The Huntress August 28, 2012
I have never fit into any cultural typeset (readily acknowledged by everyone, especially strangers, oddly) but I like it that way.
I enjoy people watching, but mainly for the bad fashion. I’m going to hell, I know it.
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Lyn Mauger August 28, 2012
Funny Wendy. On the Northern Beaches as in all areas we know there are ‘sub cultures’ amongst the tribes only recognized b the locals. For instance Avalon residents are totally different to Warriewood residents who are totally different to those Manly people!! Yep, people watching is the best entertainment and it’s free!
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Mrs P23 August 28, 2012
A woggy westie perhaps is where I originated from. Not sure what my tribe is now. I’m not particularly sporty or beachy. I am a complete recycling / composting obsessive, so maybe part greenie, part lefty, proud ethnic Australian that is sceptical of wankers and hipsters. In many ways, I am turning into my mum!
Can you put that into a box?! Gah!
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Jo @Countrylifeexperiment August 28, 2012
We live in rural NSW – in a small village. We are farmers because we wear our work boots everywhere, get flustered by traffic (ie more than 2 cars on a road), and talk incessantly about the weather. When we go to town for a day we need a good lie down to recover from all the decisions we have to make in a shop (and all the traffic too). You know if you are posh around here because you wear clean jeans when you are going out!
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Mrs Ryan August 28, 2012
My tribe is Moll. I am a rugby moll. I feel Moll is a legitimate tribe as it is currently referenced on Puberty Blues and I was around in the 1970′s for the original version. On my way to becoming a rugby moll I have been a netball moll and overall moll. I am happy and settled with my rugby moll status as my kids other activities include “rural youth” and “Brownies” which do not suit a rugby prefix at all.
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Mrs Ryan August 28, 2012
Also must mention that there are different spellings for Moll. My is the western sydney version.
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sally August 29, 2012
I must say that I resonate to some extent to the Jo@countrylifeexperience. Having moved to the country some 20 years ago. I was first one of the city slickers to the area . And the progress association was regarded as the regression association. ( It still does manage to have a damper on life-go-ahead ) But after becoming an Annie Oakley and mountain horse hermit and now just plain hermit. I look now at MY Valley and see the different levels of society play out. I think it has to do with age and children. When the children are involved it is almost mandatory to play some role to be accepted. And in a small village it is important to be accepted on some level , even if it is the hippy/green or posh city slick, or single mum. But without the children then it really becomes interesting. After you have done the garden club, horse club, school runs, volunteer festival runner and now aged into the possible white haired bus traveller. You get to look at the social habits of the struggling young. ( struggling to fit) and thank the sunny days that you no longer have to play. but can just be yourself and beome completely fruity without any guilt. Like eating double chocolate cream on hot apple pie. humm
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Jennie August 29, 2012
These postings are a bit Sydney-centric, but it’s all the same down here in sunny Melbourne.
My twin sons played REAL football for many years, and unfortunately our north-eastern, green-wedge, slightly-posh-acreage-suburb is just within the boundaries of a northern football league that encompasses the huge swathe of suburbia through the northern suburbs, home to a lot of wonderful people but many of them descended from quite recent European immigrants.
What that meant is that our skinny sons regularly had to play against boys of Greek, Italian, Turkish and Lebanese descent, and for some reason these boys tend to mature early. They were often 60 or 70 kilos when the boys on our team might have been 40 kilos ringing wet, and I swear their voices had broken and some were shaving – in Under 10s!
Their favourite pastime was simply picking up our boys and throwing them across the field away from the ball …
However, they did have one big disadvantage which was many of them were pretty slow, so our quick little nippers did win some matches by being fast and skilful … they had to be!
And when our boys eventually caught up in the size department, their extra skills stood them in good stead, and a large proportion of them went on to play football at a very high level … -
Helen September 3, 2012
We’re of the tribe who sleep in on weekends and have no interest in football whatever!
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Helen September 3, 2012
We’re of the tribe who sleep in on weekends and have no interest in football whatever!
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dramaqueen75 September 4, 2012
Helen – that’s my tribe too!
Did soccer when the kids were really little but got them into dancing, drama and music instead and reclaimed my weekends.
I can’t bear the parent hype of the netball and football, I like the beach but not enough to sit there for hours while the kids do nippers. So, I am a bit of minority and very non-tribal for the Northern Beaches.
My tribe? Music loving, theatre loving, slightly alternative, old weatherboard house a bit rough around the edges, car big enough for a drum kit, guitars, amps and PA, small fluffy rescue dog, public schools for kids in primary and high school, arts / education degree, book worm, party thrower, Facebook addict…
I think I just fit into the tribe of people who haven’t got a tribe
