Wests Tigers Fanatics
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Wests Tigers Fanatics (also known in short as the WTF) are the fanatical supporters of the Wests Tigers rugby league team that plays in the Australian National Rugby League. The group is one of the loudest and most passionate in Australia, something that is very much appreciated by the players themselves.
The Wests Tigers Fanatics are based mainly in Sydney (where the Wests Tigers club is based), however the group has members in Queensland and New Zealand.
The Wests Tigers Fanatics have a group of between 30-40 regular supporters to each game, however a large group of around 200 non-regular supporters sit with the Wests Tigers Fanatics throughout the NRL season.
The Wests Tigers Fanatics sit in the same area at each of their home grounds. At Leichhardt Oval the group sits on the famous "The Hill" amongst the regular fans. At Campbelltown Stadium the group sits on the Southern Hill (Leagues Club end) and at Telstra Stadium the group sits in Bay 105 (on the 20m line).
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[edit] Colour and Sound
The Wests Tigers Fanatics have a number of large flags. There are more than a dozen flags between 1m and 4m tall. There are nearly a dozen flags over 4m. The largest flag owned by the group is over 6m tall.
The WTF also has a large 12m wide banner with the words "Wests Tigers Fanatics" painted onto it. The group’s members create their own smaller banners and bring them to the games. The group also owns a set of drums which help create a dominate atmosphere around the Fanatics as well as helping start and maintain chants.
[edit] History
The fanatical supporters of the Wests Tigers existed as a small group for the first years of the club. In January 2004 the Wests Tigers Fanatics were truly born at the 2004 World Sevens Competition. A group of the fanatical fans decided to walk around the entire stadium to help draw the all the Wests Tigers fans together as an army to support the team. The club made the final of the 2-day competition and by that stage, at Bay 21 of Aussie Stadium in Sydney, the army had formed into an army of 200 screaming fans. From that game onwards, the original fanatical supporters and the new fanatical supporters met at each game, forming the Wests Tigers Fanatics.
In October 2004 the group decided to become more organised and attractive[citation needed]. Two members of the group held meetings with the Wests Tigers to organise special WTF season tickets and better seating at Telstra Stadium games. The meetings were successful and the Wests Tigers Fanatics was officially recognised as the Official Fanatical Supporters Group of the Wests Tigers. This began an exciting phase of the groups growth and a close working relationship with the club.
The success of the Wests Tigers[citation needed] on the field in 2005 saw the WTF grow into a large army. The club's first finals appearance in the season-proper saw fans come out of the woodwork to come and join the Wests Tigers Fanatics in their maiden finals appearance. For each of the games in the finals serries of 2005, the Wests Tigers Fanatics swelled in numbers.
The group’s finest hour was in the 3rd week of the finals in 2005. When the Wests Tigers were assured of their eligibility to play in the game, only 10,000 tickets were available as the remaining 30,000 had been sold in the week before the high-placed and more fancied St George Illawarra Dragons. Because of this, close to 30,000 Wests Tigers fans were denied access to see their team play in the Grand Final Qualifier. Because of this, those Wests Tigers Fanatics who did have tickets took it upon themselves to cheer as loud as they could to equal the dragons’ fans.
However the situation was made even more tense when the ticketing agency placed the Wests Tigers Fanatics area (an area that could hold about 600 seats)[citation needed] next to the sold-out Dragons Army (which dwarfed the Wests Tigers Fanatics). A bitter feud started between both supporters armies in the week leading up to it. At one stage, members of the Dragons Army threatened the Wests Tigers Fanatics with violence. The feud even made news in Sydney's major papers.
The Dragons Army continued to flex its muscle by boasting about its huge numbers advantage, its huge number of flags, its huge number of banners, its two GIANT banners that covered their bays and their powerful chants. The Wests Tigers Fanatics, weakened by the dispersion of their numbers, out numbered 3 to 1, missing 75% of the rest of the club's fans, took it upon themselves to never die wondering.
When the Wests Tigers ran onto the field, the roar made by the Wests Tigers Fanatics and the Wests Tigers fans in the stadium was far superior to that of the Dragons Army. A chant war broke out in the opening phases of the game and the Tigers fans clearly won the contest.
The performance of the Wests Tigers in that game was outstanding and this spilt over into the Wests Tigers Fanatics and the other fans. With 5 minutes to go, the Dragons Army was retreating home and the Wests Tigers Fanatics stood triumphantly on the smouldering remains of the Dragons Army bay. Without doubt - totally outnumbered - the Wests Tigers Fanatics finally dominated the Dragons Army.
[edit] Future
The Wests Tigers Fanatics aim to become the most successful supporters group in Australia. In 2006 they will be announcing several bold plans which will spearhead their efforts in 2006 and beyond.
