# Poll: "USA! USA!" vs "Aussie Aussie Aussie, OI OI OI!" **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 2, 2005, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-usa-usa-vs-aussie-aussie-aussie-oi-oi-oi/333659 "2005-12-02T01:57:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2005, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-usa-usa-vs-aussie-aussie-aussie-oi-oi-oi/333659/41 "2005-12-03T17:27:20Z")
> [@calm kiwi](#): > > That said, I do like the chanting/singing sporting crowds. Kiwis seem to gather their strength from the Haka and then they feel they have done their lot. While I loathe the games I love watching Poms/Brit supporters, all that chanting and singing is a bloody good thing! Yeah, but the haka is actually cool. It’s just such an amazing and inspiring ritual, and its connection with Maori culture makes it rather more impressive than “Oi Oi Oi.” (by the way, for those who’ve never seen the New Zealand All-Blacks perform the haka, there’s a video [here](http://files.allblacks.com/downloadable-hakas/dunedin-haka-300.wmv) [warning: direct wmv video link]). And the English crowd singing and chanting is also considerably more impressive—and much more varied—than “USA! USA!” They actually have a variety of songs and chants, and it’s really quite amazing to go to a football (soccer) game in England and be in the middle of a mass of chanting fans at Anfield or Stamford Bridge (two of the places where i’ve been a spectator). One of my favorite moments as a sports spectator was in England in late 1990. I was living there, and was attending some of the games being played by the touring Australian national rugby league team (the Kangaroos). They played a bunch of games against regional opponents, and three Test Matches against the Great Britain side. The Brits, very unexpectedly, won the first game at Wembley stadium. It was the first time in 37 games (going back to 1978) that they had beaten the Aussies. I went to the second test, at Old Trafford in Manchester. With ten minutes to go, Britain scored a try to tie the game 10-10, but missed the conversion. Still, a draw would have been enough to ensure that Australia could not win the series (only tie it), and it looked like being the first time in over a decade that the Auyssies would fail to win. But then, with less than a minute left on the clock, and the Old Trafford fans going crazy with the prospect of perhaps winning the series, the Kangaroos went over 80 metres on a single play to score a try and win the game. The crowd, which had been bedlam up until that point, went completely silent, except for about 2,000 Australians in the top of the stands singing “Waltzing Matilda” at the top of their voices. ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2005, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-usa-usa-vs-aussie-aussie-aussie-oi-oi-oi/333659/42 "2005-12-04T20:10:58Z")
> [@mhendo](#): > > Yeah, but the haka is actually cool. It’s just such an amazing and inspiring ritual, and its connection with Maori culture makes it rather more impressive than “Oi Oi Oi.” > > (by the way, for those who’ve never seen the New Zealand All-Blacks perform the haka, there’s a video [here](http://files.allblacks.com/downloadable-hakas/dunedin-haka-300.wmv) [warning: direct wmv video link]). Heh, that was pretty cool. > [@](#): > > And the English crowd singing and chanting is also considerably more impressive—and much more varied—than “USA! USA!” They actually have a variety of songs and chants, and it’s really quite amazing to go to a football (soccer) game in England and be in the middle of a mass of chanting fans at Anfield or Stamford Bridge (two of the places where i’ve been a spectator). If you want some variety, go to a Texas A&M football game. Instead of cheer leaders who jump around in skirts, we have 5 guys in overalls who lead the Aggies in various yells. “Farmers Fight! Farmers Fight!” doesn’t sound too intimidating unless you get 80,000 people shouting it at once. Of course, from what I understand, college football lends itself to some pretty interesting rituals. I think it’s Ole Miss that has everone in the stands jumping up and down while “House of Pain” blasts from loudspeakers at the end of the game. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2005, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-usa-usa-vs-aussie-aussie-aussie-oi-oi-oi/333659/43 "2005-12-04T20:38:50Z")
> [@mhendo](#): > > Yeah, but the haka is actually cool. It’s just such an amazing and inspiring ritual, and its connection with Maori culture makes it rather more impressive than “Oi Oi Oi.” > > (by the way, for those who’ve never seen the New Zealand All-Blacks perform the haka, there’s a video [here](http://files.allblacks.com/downloadable-hakas/dunedin-haka-300.wmv) [warning: direct wmv video link]). Gorram! I have chills now. I’m not usually one for macho posturing, but I think I feel a tingle in my bottom. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2005, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-usa-usa-vs-aussie-aussie-aussie-oi-oi-oi/333659/44 "2005-12-04T22:44:24Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > Gorram! I have chills now. I’m not usually one for macho posturing, but I think I feel a tingle in my bottom. I feel the same every time, even though i must have seen it dozens of times over my years of watching rugby. There’s another version, from France in 2004, [here](http://files.allblacks.com/downloadable-hakas/2004-Paris-Haka-300.wmv) (warning: direct video download). ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2005, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-usa-usa-vs-aussie-aussie-aussie-oi-oi-oi/333659/45 "2005-12-04T22:45:59Z")
> [@Raguleader](#): > > If you want some variety, go to a Texas A&M football game. Instead of cheer leaders who jump around in skirts, we have 5 guys in overalls who lead the Aggies in various yells. “Farmers Fight! Farmers Fight!” doesn’t sound too intimidating unless you get 80,000 people shouting it at once. I’d love to go to a big college football game. A friend of mine is on the faculty at UT Austin, and i keep meaning to go and visit during the football season so we can go to a game together. ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2005, 8:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-usa-usa-vs-aussie-aussie-aussie-oi-oi-oi/333659/46 "2005-12-05T08:15:34Z")
> [@mhendo](#): > > I’d love to go to a big college football game. A friend of mine is on the faculty at UT Austin, and i keep meaning to go and visit during the football season so we can go to a game together. Oh yeah, if you ever have a chance to go to a Thanksgiving game between t.u. (AKA UT Austin) and Texas A&M, definitely go, even if you have to crash on someone’s recliner to have a place in town to sleep at for it (All the hotels in College Station sell out months in advance for this football game). Basically, you show up to watch the Aggies trounce the Longhorns. Even if it hasn’t happened in the last 3 or 4 years. _cough_ :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2005, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-usa-usa-vs-aussie-aussie-aussie-oi-oi-oi/333659/47 "2005-12-05T11:59:40Z")
The Haka is utterly fucking awesome. No other chant comes close, though to call this amazing war dance a mere _chant_ is doing it a great disservice. From [The Haka](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kamate_haka) This is the All Blacks _Kamate_ Haka. There are others, but this is the most well-known. > [@](#): > > Leader/Team: > Ka mate, ka mate/Ka ora ka ora ('Tis death, 'Tis death/'Tis life,'Tis life, or perhaps, Will I die? Will I die? Will I live? Will I live?) > Ka mate, ka mate/Ka ora ka ora > All: > Tenei te tangata puhuruhuru (There is the man so hairy…) > Nana nei i tiki mai whakawhiti te ra (…who brought the sun and caused it to shine) > A upane, ka upane (A step, another step) > A upane, ka upane > Whiti te ra (The sun shines) I’d definitely recommend you click on **Mhendo** ’s first link to see it ---
**Author:** ![Ice\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@Ice\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Wolf)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2005, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-usa-usa-vs-aussie-aussie-aussie-oi-oi-oi/333659/48 "2005-12-05T12:09:20Z")
Nice to know ol’ Te Rauparaha’s work is appreciated by so many. ---
**Author:** ![Banquet\_Bear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banquet_bear/32/373_2.png) [@Banquet\_Bear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banquet_Bear)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2005, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-usa-usa-vs-aussie-aussie-aussie-oi-oi-oi/333659/49 "2005-12-05T13:01:31Z")
> [@Ice Wolf](#): > > Nice to know ol’ Te Rauparaha’s work is appreciated by so many. …indeed. 🙂 If you ever wanted to see the Haka preformed by an American Football team, [click here.](http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/13009556.htm) Good on ya Trinity College! ---
**Author:** ![GraceTX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c4cdca/32.png) [@GraceTX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GraceTX)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2005, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-usa-usa-vs-aussie-aussie-aussie-oi-oi-oi/333659/50 "2005-12-05T13:14:31Z")
Having never heard “Aussie, Aussie, Aussie” during a film in the cinema, I’m definitely going to have to go with “USA!” being the more annoying. Although in hindsight, watching Independence Day in America probably was a bad idea… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-usa-usa-vs-aussie-aussie-aussie-oi-oi-oi/333659.md?page=2)