- Aussie footy stars hate being called ‘champ’
- The term is seen as patronising nowadays
A quintessentially Aussie nickname that many would assume is a compliment has been exposed as an insult by a group of footy stars who have been filmed reacting to being called ‘champ’.
The term, a casual staple of sports culture Down Under, is nowadays branded patronising and irritating – as well as being jail slang for a highly derogatory term.
Aussies’ aversion to the seemingly inoffensive word was recently brought into the spotlight by a humorous video put together by the Manly NRL club.
A staffer conducted a series of interviews with players and recorded their reactions when he called them ‘champ’ at the conclusion of the conversation.
Their hilarious reactions said it all, with several of them taking immediate exception to the term.
Forward Jazz Tevaga was the most hostile of the lot.
Manly forward forward Jazz Tevaga was not happy about being called ‘champ’
Tommy Talau was shocked at the use of the word in such an offhand way
‘What do you mean “champ”?’ he demanded.
‘Why are you calling me “champ” for?’
Other Manly stars including Ben Trbojevic, Tommy Talau and Lachlan Croker are also seen getting their backs up after hearing the word.
NRL players aren’t the only ones objecting to its use, with American-born AFL star Mason Cox also noticing it in his line of work.
‘You want to know the one word in the Australian language that will upset anyone?’ he asked in TikTok video.
‘The word starts with a C – you might think I’ve used it before, but the word is “champ”.’
In Australian prisons the term is shorthand for a paedophile or a ‘c***sucker’ and saying it to the wrong person could land an inmate in hot water.
In the Aussie TV series Mr Inbetween there’s a scene where a man who is on his first stint in jail says it to another prisoner unknowingly and gets beaten up for his trouble.
Fans who watched the Manly video had mixed reactions, with older viewers not having an issue with the word.
American AFL star Mason Cox says he’s noticed that the term is offensive to use Down Under
One follower posted: ‘I use champ a lot, what’s up with this?’
Another replied: ‘Well forgive us old blokes. Champ was a common word for us growing up. Now you’re picking a fight if you say the word. FFS.’
Others agreed with the players on their reactions.
‘Champ, Pal, Buddy, Chief and Sport are all off limits,’ one wrote.
