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Sam Ackerman: Why haven't we 'grown out' of pitch invasions?
Sam Ackerman • February 17th, 2025 11:30 am
Photo: Photosport
Chiefs snag a win over the Blues to start Super Rugby, how good. That deserves all the headlines.
They didn't get all the headlines. Some of the headlines belonged to blokes running onto a pitch.
I grew up in an era when streakers were fun. It was great to see. I won't lie - I'm not sitting here as a prude telling you that I've never enjoyed watching the streakers do their thing.
Of course it's been fun, you can have a laugh. But you know what - back then you could smoke in the ground as well. Back then you could bring your own food in. Hell, if you were smart, you could bring your own booze in.
Things change, and I think that I'm about done with pitch invasions.
Does it still have a place? Is it fun to do? Does it bring anything to the game? Obviously there's always going to be some that will enjoy it. I understand why, I've been there.
Maybe I'm getting old. Maybe I'm getting crusty. But the fact is, it just brings the whole vibe down.
First of all, it's professional sport. It's literally running into these guys' workplace and - on this occasion - not wearing any trousers.
What would happen if somebody ran down Queen St naked? Would everybody laugh, clap and he'd just get a little pat on the back and be told to get himself home? Of course not. He'd be arrested.
If he came into your office naked - or, just in his dacks - it's not going to go down well, is it? What if someone went naked around a school? Of course we all know what would happen there, it'd be someone who now lives on a register.
There are kids there, and there's kids there watching the game. So, what's the difference in that regard?
I know there are pitch invaders that don't take their clothes off. I know it's not a nudity thing. The game virtually had to stop around it. Players had to stop their runs, had to look out for what was going on around them and couldn't do their job.
I think it's time to up the punishments to the point where no one is stupid enough to do it. Or, if they're stupid enough to do it, that it's going to have major consequences.
Have we grown out of streaking? Have we grown out of pitch invading? If not, why bloody not?
