NRL 2021: Raiders fans roar back into Canberra Stadium as crowd cap lifts

The Viking clap returned at full strength as a legion of Canberra Raiders fans packed into the stands to see their team's season opening triumph against Wests Tigers.

It signalled the return of full-capacity stadiums for the club, which has played in front of restricted crowd numbers since the coronavirus took hold in Australia.

The thunder of clapping Raiders fans was also a spine-tingling reminder of pre-COVID times for rugby league fans, and a sign that the pandemic in Australia had taken a turn for the better since reaching its shores last year.

Sunday's match marked almost a year since the day coronavirus overshadowed the Raiders' first round match in 2020.

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Then, hours before Canberra's clash with the Gold Coast Titans, Prime Minister Scott Morrison had said organised, non-essential gatherings of more than 500 people would not continue from the following Monday.

A year ago, 10,600 people showed up and fans savoured the Green Machine's victory while wondering about the next time they would see their team play. There had even been uncertainty about whether that match would go ahead.

No such doubt clouded the atmosphere at Sunday's clash.

Nearly 15,700 people watched on as the Raiders staged a comprehensive 30-12 victory over Wests. It made for the largest Viking clap since the 2019 preliminary final.

Raiders fan Alessandro Oliveira was among those making himself heard for his team.

He sported a fake, long black plaited beard and a pair of Viking horns, and was optimistic about his team's year ahead.

"It's huge and it's really good to see people coming back," Mr Oliveira said.

"Raiders recently have had really good crowds and so it's great that more people are turning out and they're really embracing the fact that we're back at 100 per cent."

He didn't hesitate to turn up at Canberra Stadium on Sunday.

"I really appreciate being able to come and see the Raiders and I know that we've always had really great crowd control. So I'm always happy to come out," he said.

"If I can, I want to come out to support the boys."

Raiders supporter Sara Turnbull brought her baby daughter Addison to the match. It was a first for the 13-month-old.

Ms Turnbull had wanted to take her last year but COVID-19 put up the barrier.

"It's been really good to see that there's some kind of norm in Canberra, we're able to do this," Ms Turnbull said.

"We're very, very lucky to be able to be here and I think that we as Canberrans should be proud that we can do this."

The Raiders fan had high hopes that her team's 2021 season would lead all the way again to the grand final.

"I think they'll go really well. I'm confident," she said.

Canberra returns to 100 per cent capacity for NRL games this season after the ACT government lifted caps on crowds at Canberra Stadium.

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