Legendary commentator Bruce McAvaney says there’s one thing “special” about Matildas matches that he hasn’t encountered at males’s sporting occasions in Australia.
McAvaney, who to many followers is the voice of Australian sport, heads up the Channel 7 Women’s World Cup protection group with fellow presenter Mel McLaughlin.
From AFL grand finals to Melbourne Cups, Olympics to Commonwealth Games, the 70-year-old broadcaster has completed all of it – however says this match is completely different.
Speaking after the Matildas beat Denmark of their spherical of 16 conflict in entrance of a packed crowd at Sydney’s Stadium Australia, McAvaney stated the ambiance on the occasion made him really feel like he was “floating on air.”
“There’s something about attending these games that’s different than going to big games where men dominate,” McAvaney stated. Neil Mitchell on 3AW.
Bruce McAvaney says Matildas matches are ‘special’ in a manner he hasn’t skilled earlier than
The broadcaster stated the atmosphere on the World Cup matches additionally feels ‘safer’
“It’s a kinder feeling, Neil. Am I making that up? No, I’m not, as a result of many individuals have stated that to me.
“There’s quite a lot of enjoyable, quite a lot of laughter, quite a lot of barricading and quite a lot of ‘come on’, however there’s additionally quite a lot of sportsmanship.
Now I’m not saying that doesn’t occur somewhere else, nevertheless it’s a barely completely different dynamic.
“There’s no query about final night time — I walked up and down from the studio to the bottom various instances doing interviews. Honestly, I felt like I used to be floating within the air.
“It feels safer in some methods. So many younger youngsters there final night time. Yes, we are able to be taught one thing from this.’
McAvaney stated the closest expertise he needed to Monday night time’s Matildas match was the 2003 Rugby World Cup Final in Sydney, when England beat Australia on a late drop aim.
Australia’s love affair with the Matildas is mirrored within the TV rankings, with the match towards Denmark changing into the top-rated TV program of 2023 – beating main males’s sporting occasions such because the NRL’s State of Origin collection and the grand remaining of final 12 months’s AFL.
More than 3.5 million individuals watched the record-breaking Women’s World Cup match on Channel Seven – with 3.18 million on TV and 385,000 on the streaming service 7Plus.
Australia’s love affair with the Matildas is mirrored within the TV rankings – and McAvaney says the group is giving followers an unbelievable expertise they don’t get from males’s occasions
The World Cup spherical of 16 match towards Denmark attracted extra viewers than final 12 months’s AFL and NRL grand finals (Geelong have fun their victory within the AFL premiership, pictured)
Seven’s protection of the match has now reached a whopping 9.25 million individuals on TV and 1.67 million on 7Plus.
The Aussie squad’s subsequent match on Saturday afternoon may high Ash Barty’s monster scores as she received the 2022 Australian Open title.