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IELTS Topic: SPORTS
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Could regional towns ever give up footy?
Original source: ABC
There might not be many people in Nyngan, a remote town in central New South Wales. But what the tiny town of just over 2000 people lacks in numbers, they more than make up for in their love for rugby league.
“Junior league has been phenomenally strong here for a number of years. Last year they had six teams in grand finals,” Glenn Niell, President of the Nyngan Tigers Football Club says.
“If junior league is on here, the little oval is surrounded by lots of cars and people, and the barbie and canteen are flat out.
If junior league is on, the little oval is surrounded by lots of cars & people and the barbie and canteen are flat out
“It’s always a weekend of footy in Nyngan.”
The town loves league, Glenn says, and when there’s an away game, the whole town packs up and travels to wherever their teams are playing.
So what would happen to this thriving local competition if contact sports, such as rugby league, were to be banned?
With increasing concerns about the effect of concussions on professional athletes come calls for a ban in contact sports, particularly for junior players.
In June, Australian researchers discovered a degenerative brain disease, Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), in two former professional rugby league players.
Now, the doctor who first discovered CTE, Dr Bennett Omalu, is urging contact sports to reconsider junior competitions.
He lists the ‘big six’ offenders as rugby, American football, mixed martial arts (MMA), boxing, wrestling and ice hockey.
“It’s been very well established that playing high impact, high contact sports is not good for children,” Dr Omalu says.
But seriously, what does he think kids are going to do in a town like this if they don’t have football?
“What is wrong with us as a modern society? Do we uphold and place the excitement of sports above the humanity of our children?”
However, for Glenn Niell from the Nyngan Tigers, football is more than a sport, it brings the community together.
“We made a grand final about three years ago, and everyone was down at the footy.”
“Over the last few years, there’s been a lot of rules put into the game to protect players. We’re all aware that if a kids concussed, he’s off and doesn’t come back till he’s cleared,” he said.
“But seriously, what does he think kids are going to do in a town like this if they don’t have football?”