Perhaps what caught your eye at the Presidents Cup this past weekend was the infamous Stricker streaker or the absurd amount of rain that fell, causing delays from the first to the last day of competition.
What should have caught your eye, though, was a contingency of Australian fans, the Fanatics, uniformed in yellow T-shirts, green-plaid shorts, and backward berets. One of the Fanatics looked like he was wearing a bundhosen, a traditional German garment, but that did not look out of place for the usually boisterous and passionate Fanatics.
Known for their unison cheers, dances and alcohol-induced wry smiles, the Fanatics are a traveling group of Australian fans that follow their homeland’s sports ranging from golf, tennis and perhaps more popular in the land down under, rugby and cricket.
Founders David McClatchey and Christopher Black began their Fanatic origins at a tennis event.
“We started in 1997 when Pat Rafter won the U.S. Open and we were out with Tony Roche and John Newcombe (Australian tennis players) and they said, ‘When you get back home, give us a call and we can set you guys up to (come to the Davis Cup),’ because we were supporting Pat (Rafter) at the (U.S. Open) Final,” Black said. “So, we got a group of mates together to support the Davis Cup team and it all grew from there.”
Yet, it wasn’t always a smooth road for the Australian die-hards, as they not only struggled to attend events as a group, but Australian sports have struggled on the international stage.
“It was always an uphill battle going overseas and touring with sports like tennis and golf, and other sports Australia hasn’t been predominant with in the past couple of decades,” said Black.
Throughout the Presidents Cup, the only hills the Fanatics were climbing were the undulations of Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin.
Whether it was their Aussie accents echoed in their cheers, the stack of Stella Artois each had in their grasps, their witty sense of humor, which caught on exceptionally well with those dispirited by the below par weather, or their exuberance in a mild-mannered crowd, the Fanatics gained popularity with Americans and players alike.
Where the Fanatics might blend in more is not at their annual stops to golf and tennis events, but at events involving physicality that blur the lines of traditional competition.
“We also do the Running of the Bulls in Pamplona, the Tomatina Festival in Italy, so it’s usually thousands of people who are in the crew at that point,” Black said. “So (the Presidents Cup) is a pretty small tour.”
Nonetheless, people recognize the Aussie group far and wide and the Fanatics continue to love their country’s sports no matter their success.
“People love it,” Black said. “People love the organization, the signs, and even the dances. There’s usually a few beers here and there to add to the excitement.”
@ColinHanner
ch115710@ohiou.edu
