Police separate chanting fans

Police keep chanting English and Argentinian fans separate as the two teams of supporters...
Police keep chanting English and Argentinian fans separate as the two teams of supporters gathered in the Octagon as part of Dunedin's pre-match festivities, yesterday. Photo by Craig Baxter.
Police keep chanting English and Argentinian fans separate as the two teams of supporters...
Police keep chanting English and Argentinian fans separate as the two teams of supporters gathered in the Octagon as part of Dunedin's pre-match festivities, yesterday. Photo by Craig Baxter.
A streaker gestures at England's Jonny Wilkinson at Otago Stadium on Saturday night. Photo by...
A streaker gestures at England's Jonny Wilkinson at Otago Stadium on Saturday night. Photo by Linda Robertson.

A passionate display of the rivalry between rugby fans from England and Argentina dominated Dunedin's Octagon before the city's first Rugby World Cup clash at Otago Stadium on Saturday night.

Police stepped in to maintain a line between chanting factions as boisterous English and Argentinian supporters traded pre-match banter, taunts and patriotic tunes, on Saturday afternoon.

It was a close call, but the samba-inspired Spanish songs of the fervent Argentinian fans often seemed to drown out the English supporters' chants and the repetitive drone of Swing low, sweet chariot.

Dunedin seemed overwhelmed by the blue and white colours of the Argentina fans, as supporters of Los Pumas, young and old, male and female, found their way to the Octagon to sing and chant themselves into a pre-match frenzy.

The English fans were determined not to be outdone though, as they packed the Octagon's bars, belting out chants to add to the intense atmosphere.

Argentinian boys Carlos Bottini (12) and his friend Nacho Alfonso (13) were part of a passionate pack of Puma supporters chanting and whistling in a wind-up of English fans.

Carlos Bottini senior said he had brought his son to New Zealand to experience the World Cup. The pair also attended games in France in 2007.

"It's better here than in Europe. All of us have come here to the city centre together and everything is so close," he said, of Dunedin.

Senior Sergeant Bruce Ross, of Dunedin, said the pre-match behaviour of fans was good-natured banter between supporters. One person had been arrested, away from the Octagon, before kick-off, he said.

Fans did not stop their chants and singing once they made their way inside the ground, although the loudest cheer was a combined one from supporters of both sides when a rogue streaker managed to elude security staff and romp across the pitch.

A police spokeswoman said the 23-year-old Dunedin man was arrested for pitch invasion under the Major Events Management Act.

Argentina fans, sensing a possible boilover early in the match, did their best to cheer on their team, but it was the English fans left singing loudest when reserve back Ben Youngs cantered over the line for the game's only try.

 

 

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