First Connacht Game

So was thinking, what was my first memory of going to a Connacht game.

Earliest one I can remember was 1992 Connacht v Australia. Highlights below:

My Dad insists he was bringing me before that, but I can't recall any games earlier.

Got saturated that day at the back of the goals, College Road end. Clinging on to the wall as could not get onto the race track.

Great idea GTTC. My first live game was in December 2004 Connacht vs Montpelier. I remember Mark McHugh had a stormer and we won! And so a love affair was born.

my first game was in 1999 but I did'nt start going regularily to games until 2001. I have a poor memory of games maybe because we didnt have much to celebrate but there was a high scoring amlin\challenge cup game against Sale Sharks in the early 2000's, we didnt win but we pushed them very close and after that game i was hooked and went from being a just a rugby fan to a Connacht fan

my first game was in 1999 but I did'nt start going regularily to games until 2001. I have a poor memory of games maybe because we didnt have much to celebrate but there was a high scoring amlin\challenge cup game against Sale Sharks in the early 2000's, we didnt win but we pushed them very close and after that game i was hooked and went from being a just a rugby fan to a Connacht fan

I wonder was that the semi-final of the Challenge Cup when Chabal played for them?

I remember my first game being back in the early days of the European Shield when we hammered Northampton. I was naive enough to believe it would always be that good. I think we got to the quarter final that year which was a big breakthrough at the time. There were so many bad days to come but you live for the good days!

I think the game clanman is referring to was the 30-33 defeat against Sale around 2001, we were well beaten away to them but Sale were going well at the time and had a good team. We gave them a good rattle, they put a few good victories together that season.

My first Connacht match was the Interpro against Leinster in October '98. I am from provincial Leinster and didn't feel that the goys represented my provincial Towns Cup Leinster roots particularly well, but at the time I had only just moved to Galway and had no rugby links to Connacht.

So as I stood on the pre-Clan terrace side of the Sportsground, on one of the 3 concrete steps, facing the old wooden stand, debating with myself about whether or not to support Leinster, 3 D4 heads in camel coats and billowing scarves sauntered towards me are one bellowed "Come on Leinster, let's show these muckers how to play rugby"

That was enough to make me a Connacht fan straight away. What really sealed the deal on becoming a Connacht fan was the fact that the game had started in glorious sunshine and Leinster had swept to an early, and seemingly unassailable 17 point lead before, as is expected in the West, the weather turned nasty and Connacht ended up winning by a point. Been hooked ever since.

--EDIT: I was at that Oz game as well, but that was with school. Think I still have a programme and some signatures at home.
Below, is the first game that I went to of my own free will

Can't remember who we played in the first game I went to. I know if was the 06/07 season though
Myself and a few friends were just after finishing college, and were working part time jobs until something full time came up.
We all had a bit of money, and enjoyed Friday nights out, so decided to go to a game. Brought our own drink into the game with us, and spent the majority of the match just drinking in the Main Stand, without much interest of what was going on, on the pitch.
This started to become a weekly tradition, until after 5 or 6 games, none of my mates could go, so I went on my own, without beer, and realised that I had become quite a fan, and was recognising players.
Been going ever since

Actually, had my first Connacht jersey, before I had even been to a match, just because I liked the look of it

All Blacks, 1989.

We lost 40-6, but if I remember we scored the first points so that felt like a moral victory. Zinzan Brooke said hello.

What stood out for me was the haka. We've all seen the Willie Anderson video of Ireland lining up and facing it down, but what few know is Connacht had done it before. Nobody gives us credit for anything!

Second one was the Australia game in the first post. Soaked through, Campese came on in the second half and looked entirely unimpressed to be playing in a shed. On the way home I ran into a girl from uni and we ended up together for 11 years, so it wasn't a complete washout.

Same as UMMM
1989 All Blacks and Inga Tuigamala. I had to look it up as I thought it was around 86.
They were massive men back then and really gave me the buzz for rugby.

I was definitely at the Australia game as well. My overall memory of the day is sketchy - I think we were brought from school to the game, as it was mid week? Similar to Cows, I started supporting Connacht seriously in the mid 2000's.

Loving this topic guys. Really makes me miss going to the Sportsground on a regular basis.

My first game was Connacht v Munster Sat, 19-04-2014 18:15
I had moved to Galway a few weeks before the game
Got addicted to the team even though we had lost 32-23
Have to say the weather was lovely too