A Day Out With the RUCKUS Crew

It starts when you hear a number of raucous students, screaming at the top of their lungs as loudly as their voices will let them. These students are of all ages and from all around the country, they are male and female, some are rugby fans and some are just there for the good time and great atmosphere that being in a group like this can create. They lead loud chants throughout the game and you look like the odd one out if you’re sitting down while this is all happening. You look around and see eight shirtless men wearing only footy shorts and socks, their torsos painted blue with a different letter on their chests to spell out B-R-U-M-B-I-E-S. These men are all unfazed by the freezing Canberra temperatures, you are sitting in the RUCKUS crew at an ACT Brumbies match at GIO Stadium.

The RUCKUS crew was formed in early 2013 in conjunction with UCLife! as a way to connect the ACT Brumbies with the students of major sponsor the University of Canberra. UCLife! offered students affordable season passes, matching yellow T-shirts, drink deals, and the promise of a great time. It was unlike anything anybody in Australia had seen at the time — they were creating something not only special but unique as well. The RUCKUS crew wasn’t just for rugby fans, it was for students who wanted to engage with each other and their university community.

Dave McCarthy of UCLife! was the man who headed up the formation of the RUCKUS crew and continues to lead it today. “When I moved to Canberra I didn’t engage with the Brumbies because it wasn’t accessible to me and going to the games you just felt like an outsider,” he says. “The RUCKUS crew was originally designed as a way to make a genuine engagement between the students of the University of Canberra and the team that they were sponsoring. The previous year there had just been cheap tickets offered to students but there hadn’t been any real atmosphere. The RUCKUS crew was a way to get everyone together as a part of the same thing and cheering the same way”

Originally the numbers were low but as the weeks went on, more and more people saw what was building and wanted to get involved. “Getting people involved initially was hard,” says McCarthy.

“We had to throw some of the craziest deals you’ll ever see in Super Rugby at people. The biggest hurdle at least in the beginning was getting people on board with rugby because a lot of students initially weren’t to keen on it but once they came along to a couple of RUCKUS crew games they loved it and were hooked.”

It’s the 6^th of March, 2015. The Brumbies’ second home game of the season against an interesting Western Force side who will be boosted by the return of possibly the most beloved rugby player in Australia, the Honey Badger Nick Cummins. The RUCKUS crew meets up on the UC campus with a barbecue and bar set up for members.

The excitement around the group is evident. Talk centres around the Honey Badger and whether or not the Brumbies can continue their strong start to the season. There are others around dressed in the RUCKUS crew yellow who are happy just to talk about university work and whether or not they will be going out that night. Such is the diversity of the group and its members.

At about 5:30pm a group of blokes start to take their shirts off and others volunteer to help paint them the navy blue of the Brumbies with the letters of the team on their torsos. These men are the stars of the RUCKUS crew, the ones that get the TV time, the ones that you can see clearly from anywhere in the stadium. They are the famous Barebacks.

The Barebacks were formed halfway through the 2013 season when the Brumbies took on the British and Irish Lions in an exhibition match. They were the dream of a former UC Student, Tatsuya Yamasaki whom McCarthy describes as “The wildest Brumbies fan I’ve ever known.” Tatsuya approached UCLife! CEO Joe Roff with the idea of getting eight shirtless blokes painted up with Brumbies on their chests and facing the minus four degrees wind chill of that night, in order to get some free tickets to the game.

Roff loved the idea and obliged with the tickets but he could not have imagined the reaction and attention the stunt would grab. The barebacks were all over TV and the newspapers because people just could not believe that these fans were crazy enough to pull a stunt like this. After this debut for the Barebacks at the Lions game, the same group of blokes continued to do this for every Brumbies home game for the rest of the season.

In 2014 the Barebacks grew even bigger, blossoming into a larger squad of people who wanted to get involved with this unique fan experience.

“The barebacks has now evolved into a squad of blokes, of varying quality in physiques who get painted up and lead the RUCKUS crew every week,” says McCarthy. “Their ability to just bring energy to a stadium and crowd is just unmatched, no matter how the Brumbies are doing they will be cheering the whole time and getting the entirety of the RUCKUS crew involved in supporting the Brumbies and enjoying the match.”

2014 was a marquee year for the Barebacks, as they appeared at every single Brumbies home game as well as travelling to Sydney for the team’s semi-final clash with the Waratahs. The group attracted so much attention all year that they were a feature story on the ABC’s 7.30.

Former Brumbies captain Ben Mowen said of the Barebacks: “The first thing we do when we run out and warm up is look to that corner and they’re absolutely the best fans, to be out there in near minus degrees with no shirts on, it’s very impressive.”

Back on campus as the Barebacks continue to get painted, the RUCKUS crew’s excitement continues to build. The first bus to take people to the game soon arrives and a lot of people filter onto that bus. Not everyone is painted yet so the Barebacks will wait for the bus that comes in half an hour. This is the last bus so the remainder of the crowd squeezes on with the Barebacks to ride together.

The bus is loud and noisy the entire trip to GIO Stadium. Chants of Brumbies ring through the ears of anyone sitting on the bus and anyone lucky enough to drive next to or past it. The RUCKUS crew breaks into song at various moments on the trip, singing ‘We Love You Brumbies’, ‘Hey Baby’ or just anything that pops into their heads. Everyone gets off the bus in a great mood, ready for their beloved team to play.

All the way to the gates from the drop off point there is more chanting and singing. The strange looks from passers-by do not deter this prideful group marching on towards their destination. Their passion for the Brumbies is so evident at this point, unlike anything else in Australian Rugby. The other Super Rugby franchises have fans, even passionate fans, but none as unique and eclectic as the RUCKUS crew.

Upon scanning their RUCKUS crew passes and entering the ground, the RUCKUS crew set off to their usual spot in the far corner of the Southern end of GIO Stadium. At the front of their designated area there are a number of spots saved for the Barebacks so that they may lead the cheering and chanting from the front. Their yellow t-shirt-wearing followers sit in the rows behind them, creating a real sight for the TV cameras to behold. The RUCKUS crew is situated right next to the stage where the live music plays before the games and at halftime, and they are always jumping around and dancing no matter who is playing. It’s evident the performers appreciate it.

After the pre-match music is done it is time for the teams to run out to warm up. The Brumbies run out to the side of the field they usually warm up on, conveniently right in front of the RUCKUS crew. They cheer loudly as the team begins to run through set plays and drills, A chant of “Henry, give us a wave!” is directed towards star Brumbies winger Henry Speight, who kindly obliges the fans with a warm and boisterous wave.

Brumbies and Wallabies back-rower Scott Fardy says of the RUCKUS crew: “I love running out and hearing them ripping in to us a bit. I really enjoy the support that they give us and the team really appreciates it.” Fardy is a favourite within the RUCKUS crew ranks for his no nonsense style of play and general prowess around the field. He is usually one of the recipients of the “give us a wave” chants also.

As the team finishes warming up, the rest of the crowd slowly filters in. It’s not a huge crowd on this night (only around 11,000) so there is even more pressure on the RUCKUS crew to create a great atmosphere for the game and lead the crowd in constant cheers for the Brumbies.

The game goes as most expect it to, with the Brumbies running out comfortable victors 27-15 over the Force. There are a few bright spots in the match including Joe Tomane making some electric runs down the wing and scoring a try right in front of the RUCKUS crew, which was met with rapturous applause for the crowd favourite.

After the game some players choose to run over to the RUCKUS crew and thank them for their support. Joe Tomane especially makes a habit of doing this almost every home game. He takes selfies with some of the members of the crew and he is beloved because of it, even knowing some of these members on a first name basis.

After the players filter back into the tunnel, the RUCKUS crew begin to make their way out of the stadium and back to the buses. There is a great mood amongst them after a good victory by their side. After getting off the bus at the university they say their goodbyes and look forward to the next match.

The RUCKUS crew is a unique experience for any rugby fan and is one that McCarthy is proud to have had a hand in creating. “I think it’s re-engaged the general public and the general student with Super Rugby,” he says. “The games just didn’t have any atmosphere, especially for students, but I’m proud that we’ve been able to create an avenue for the everyday person and student to get to these games and just enjoy rugby.”

McCarthy has a hope that the RUCKUS crew will continue to grow in size and stature and help to build the atmosphere at Brumbies home games into the best in the country.

“My vision for the RUCKUS crew going forward is to continue expanding our membership and base. I would one day like to see the whole south side bay turn into the RUCKUS crew because the atmosphere and experience would be incredible.”

By Bill Yole