The Langports Games — Bigger than the Olympics
I’m Dave Lowe. I’m the Director of Studies at Langports in Brisbane. I’ve been here for 6 years now (in Brisbane and at Langports) and I’m really happy here. I’m crazy about sports, and one of my favourite things about Brisbane (apart from the beautiful weather and friendly people) is sport.
I’m talking about this because the Langports Games is coming up, Thursday 17th May. This is when the Brisbane and Gold Coast schools get together to play each other at lots of sports (soccer, volleyball, badminton, table tennis, basketball, touch rugby) to see who wins the Langports Cup. Well, the Gold Coast always wins it, to be honest. We’re good at losing, in Brisbane. But — win or lose – it’s always a fun day and a great chance for students to get to know each other better. We’ll report on the result of the Langports Games next week.
When students come to Australia, I think it’s a great idea for them to see at least one sporting event. You see, sports are such a huge part of our culture. In November, the whole country stops to watch the Melbourne Cup, the richest horse race in the world. And, over the year, there are hundreds of big rugby, cricket, soccer and Aussie Rules football games to go to. If I went to Japan, I’d make sure I went to a sumo tournament or a baseball game. Similarly, students in Brisbane or the Gold Coast should definitely enjoy a game while they’re here.
Here are my tips for enjoying a big game in Australia:
- Try to learn some of the rules, before you go (get an Aussie to explain them to you). Except for cricket. No one understands cricket.
- Have a meat pie. They’re not at all healthy, no one is exactly sure what ‘meat’ it is, and the inside of the pie is usually hotter than the inside of a volcano, but eating a pie is an important part of going to a game.
- Don’t be afraid to shout and cheer. Aussies love shouting things when they’re watching sport, and not all of it is polite. You might learn some new, interesting words.
So, that’s it from me. Hopefully we’ll be back next week with news about Brisbane winning the Langports Games. Then again, maybe not.