Comments on: Rugby World Cup 2011

Rugby World Cup 2011

pivotal — Thu, 17 Nov 2005 12:11:23 -0800

The Rugby World Cup probably doesn't matter a lot to most, but today's announcement that New Zealand will be hosting the 2011 event is enough to send the local media into ecstasy. Not wanting to be outdone on Olympic-scale scandal, you can bet that neighbours of the biggest Rugby Stadium in New Zealand will not be happy.

By: Soulfather

Soulfather — Thu, 17 Nov 2005 12:31:01 -0800

Doesn't matter a lot to most what? Soccer-playing nancy boys? I've only just had my breakfast, but still, this is the best news I've heard all morning. Eden Park has been there longer than any of its neighbours, so if they don't like it they should have bought houses elsewhere. It's not as if rugby and cricket audiences are known for random property destruction.

By: dangerousdan

dangerousdan — Thu, 17 Nov 2005 12:36:22 -0800

Good to see that the Rugby outreach program is working so well. New Zealand suffers from a lack of exposure to rugby.

By: pivotal

pivotal — Thu, 17 Nov 2005 12:37:03 -0800

I posted the Eden Park neighbours bit because I thought people might get a kick out of the things that concern New Zealanders daily. Apparently one of the key concerns is drunken Rugby fans urinating on front lawns after games. Scandal!

By: salmacis

salmacis — Thu, 17 Nov 2005 12:42:00 -0800

What a fucking monumentally stupid decision. Rejecting Japan has put rugby back a decade. Rugby is, unfortunately, still run by a bunch of myopic blazers who have no interest in the game's global development.

By: Smedleyman

Smedleyman — Thu, 17 Nov 2005 12:46:36 -0800

Wish I could make it to NZ.

By: pivotal

pivotal — Thu, 17 Nov 2005 12:52:34 -0800

salmacis, how does playing the World Cup in Japan, where any local team is likely to be thrashed 100+ to nil, help global development? A one-off event like the World Cup is not going to do that. We need instead to expand local comps (like the Super 12 moving into Perth), and get regular tours to/from those 'global' nations.

By: John Shaft

John Shaft — Thu, 17 Nov 2005 12:53:23 -0800

Oh my gracious. While this is undeniably good news, we have approximately one metric fuckload of work to do to get stadiums and infrastructure up to snuff. Auckland's traffic situation can only get worse!

By: salmacis

salmacis — Thu, 17 Nov 2005 13:00:05 -0800

pivotal: Why do you think Japan would get tharshed 100-0 when they were better than than that at the last world cup? Don't you think hosting the football world cup raised the profile of the game in Asia? Don't you think raising the profile of rugby in that corner of the world would be a good thing? That's even before we address the point that Japan has better stadia, more hotel rooms and all-round better infrastructure to host such a competition. Quite frankly, I'm staggered that the IRB has passed up such a golden opportunity.

By: holloway

holloway — Thu, 17 Nov 2005 13:18:36 -0800

Normally I wouldn't care, but all the sport comentators on tv were acting like giddy children this morning. They were fidgeting and being overly sincere, big soppy eyes and I swear they they were about to cry. It was so cute.

By: rodney stewart

rodney stewart — Thu, 17 Nov 2005 13:24:29 -0800

soccer-playing nancy boys? hark the universal Rugby mating call. the ever-minority game of choice for lonely poofs and public school boy twats everywhere. rugby players tough. soccer 'nancy-boy'. lonely poofta like rugby. lonely poofta like to be tough. reality must be such a disappointment to ego-driven rugby fans. the sheer desperation at wanting things to be different is however sometimes just too painfully obvious to ignore. i offer profound and sincerest sympathy to any small town or village cursed with the indignity of a visiting rugby club. rugby should be by far and way the very best reason to emigrate any country with a union jack in it's flag.

By: fixedgear

fixedgear — Thu, 17 Nov 2005 13:38:04 -0800

Please post a reminder in 2011 in case this slips my mind.

By: The Monkey

The Monkey — Thu, 17 Nov 2005 13:38:22 -0800

rodney stewart, there there, cry it all out. John Shaft, have you seen the train station upgrade next to Eden Park? It's made a huge difference. At the moment I live a few blocks away from Eden Park, but who knows where I'll live in 6 years? Helen Clark, Prime Minister of New Zealand, lives practically across the road from Eden Park. Highly doubtful that she'd still be PM in 5 years, but she might still live there. She must hate it.

By: Catch

Catch — Thu, 17 Nov 2005 13:46:30 -0800

This thread is excellent, it's like an NZ mini-mefi-meetup.

By: Sonny Jim

Sonny Jim — Thu, 17 Nov 2005 13:49:57 -0800

Nice, rodney stewart. Pity there's no option for 'creepily homophobic' in the 'flag this post' drop-down menu. On preview: Hi everyone!

By: pivotal

pivotal — Thu, 17 Nov 2005 13:58:07 -0800

I think it's funny the way English rugby is all public-schools and fag systems and toffs, whereas New Zealand rugby is beer-swilling blue-collar meat-heads. Rodney should come to New Zealand and start bagging rugby in a pub to see if the 'poofters' come out of the woodwork... Hi NZ Mefites!

By: gauchodaspampas

gauchodaspampas — Thu, 17 Nov 2005 14:06:23 -0800

Do the US qualify automatically for being the defending olympic champions?

By: noizyboy

noizyboy — Thu, 17 Nov 2005 14:08:08 -0800

Kia ora. Japan can have it in 2015. It's nice that we'll get to have it one more time before it moves into the big money/big economy world circuit (see: Soccer World Cup, Olympics). I also think it's hilarious that people above are slagging the IRB for its decision - that's usually a sport reserved for us Kiwis on virtually every other decision the blazer-wearing money-grubbers in Dublin make. And I'll get to see some classic games at the Cake Tin: Japan v. Romania! Fiji v. Ukraine! Bring it on...

By: noizyboy

noizyboy — Thu, 17 Nov 2005 14:08:57 -0800

Do the US qualify automatically for being the defending olympic champions? That is a fact never mentioned in NZ, outside of pub trivia night.

By: bardic

bardic — Thu, 17 Nov 2005 14:11:04 -0800

Sincere question: Is Jonah Lomu still a big factor in ruggers or has he retired?

By: noizyboy

noizyboy — Thu, 17 Nov 2005 14:18:22 -0800

Lomu's about to turn out for his first game at Welsh club Cardiff in the UK. He says he wants to get back into the All Blacks for the 2007 World Cup, but I can't see him doing it - too old, he's lost all his speed, and look at what's come along since: Joe Rockococko, Rico Gear, Sitiveni Sitivatu and Doug Howlett.

By: Smedleyman

Smedleyman — Thu, 17 Nov 2005 14:22:00 -0800

"soccer-playing nancy boys" Here in the states, if you play rugby, you tend to have respect for those who grew up playing soccer with their ball control, big toes, and endurance as opposed to (American) footballers who just like to smash things and typically tackle people who've already passed. Not that we're not well-appreciated as packeys. But it's usually the ex-soccer players who score out here.

By: The Monkey

The Monkey — Thu, 17 Nov 2005 14:58:06 -0800

I was at Burger Fuel on Ponsonby Rd the other day, Jonah Lomu was there having a burger. Christ he's big. He looked hellishly fit too. (He was wearing a t-shirt, though, and you could see the big lumpy bulging veins courtesy of dialysis and such.)

By: Jimbob

Jimbob — Thu, 17 Nov 2005 16:24:52 -0800

Look, us Australians know that there's only one World Cup that matters now.

By: Soulfather

Soulfather — Thu, 17 Nov 2005 16:51:55 -0800

Yeah, I'll be rooting for the Socceroos (I guess they'll have to be called the Footballroos or something now) next year. It goes against my instincts to support Australia in any sporting endeavour, but sometimes it's more fun to be neighbourly. I think thanks should go to John Safran for lifting the voodoo curse.

By: Jimbob

Jimbob — Thu, 17 Nov 2005 17:20:19 -0800

Yeah, I haven't heard Safran's comments on the win yet, but I'm sure he's got something to say. Should get a bloody knighthood, that man.

By: rodney stewart

rodney stewart — Thu, 17 Nov 2005 17:24:06 -0800

perfectly ok with me, Sonny Jim. at least so long as you'll endevour to likewise flag the original nancy-boy post while you're there. after all, what's good for the goose is always good for the gander.

By: michswiss

michswiss — Thu, 17 Nov 2005 18:06:46 -0800

Awwww damn... This will make it nigh near impossible to get cheap flights to visit the family in Mt Eden. Otherwise, excellent news! It's nice that the Kiwi's now have another international sporting event since handing over the America's Cup.

By: PenDevil

PenDevil — Thu, 17 Nov 2005 22:24:20 -0800

Curses.

By: dydecker

dydecker — Thu, 17 Nov 2005 22:33:42 -0800

NZs obsession with rugby is a total and complete bummer.

By: doogyrev

doogyrev — Thu, 17 Nov 2005 23:23:24 -0800

no one expected it here at all , tall poppy syndrome be damned ! Now if only the Kiwis could qualify for the Football World cup next time life would be "sweet as"

By: doogyrev

doogyrev — Thu, 17 Nov 2005 23:24:13 -0800

NZ Mefites shout out

By: DirtyCreature

DirtyCreature — Fri, 18 Nov 2005 01:37:18 -0800

NZs obsession with rugby is a total and complete bummer. Agreed. It's a lot like Melbourne's obsession with AFL. They are living in a cocoon where the rugby players walk around thinking they are god's gift and the locals agree, but to outsiders they are just furniture removalists with attitude.

By: vbfg

vbfg — Fri, 18 Nov 2005 03:28:54 -0800

Having taken a small survey of just myself I've come to the conclusion that RU is the international sport that has the most people actively wanting their own country to lose whilst simultaneusly not giving a flying rat's ass for the game.

By: Paragon

Paragon — Fri, 18 Nov 2005 05:50:13 -0800

*nod to NZ mefis* Rugby's just a sport, and people getting enthusiastic about any sport is pretty harmless. There's always the "that sport is so boring" brigade, but methinks they doth protest too much.

By: couch

couch — Fri, 18 Nov 2005 07:04:25 -0800

Just popping in to wish the All Blacks pob lwc tomorrow with the English. And can we borrow one of your spare wingers to play Australia. Go on. Please.

By: dydecker

dydecker — Fri, 18 Nov 2005 08:53:29 -0800

Paragon, I listened to two hours of Morning Report yesterday and fully one hour and 20 minutes was devoted to this fascinating announcement. As you say, rugby is just a sport. Don't you think it should be confined to the sports section where it belongs? Ten minutes I might be able to bear but 80 mins of coverage of this announcement is not fair coverage, it is the product of a national pathological obsession. The Prime Minister of NZ flew fully *halfway around the world* to make a speech at a meeting to argue the case for hosting this event. Did any other prime minister do this? No, because it matters not a jot in the wider scheme of things, except to New Zealanders. It is an unsophisticated, provincial look. What is even worse is that the NZ Govt underwrites these professional sporting events so your "harmless" hobby is effectively being subsidized by the other half of the population who aren't interested in rugby at all.

By: dydecker

dydecker — Fri, 18 Nov 2005 09:14:04 -0800

Some quotes on this auspicious day: It's a great day to be a Kiwi," said Hobbs. "Rugby is so important to New Zealand. It defines who we are in many respects." "There are four million people in New Zealand and every one of them feels they have a share of the All Blacks." the former All Black captain Sean Fitzpatrick. These statements are self-serving lies.

By: Samuel Farrow

Samuel Farrow — Fri, 18 Nov 2005 09:24:19 -0800

It is good news and altough I despair sometimes at the budgetary whims of the New Zealand Government - I welcome the investment in infrastructure that will be neccessary to successfully host the world cup

By: newscouch

newscouch — Fri, 18 Nov 2005 12:03:38 -0800

dydecker: I think rugby-heads in NZ do give themselves too much credit, as the rest of the country isn't as behind them as they think. But I still think the widespread (if not universal) obsession with rugby in NZ is cute. A tad provincial? Sure, but at least it's mostly harmless. *completely off topic* As for Morning Report, they often go out on a limb and decide to spend 80% of their time talking about the same thing. Remember last week's Rod Donald episode? Or how about their 'mainstream' interview with DB before the election that went on for what seemed like 20 minutes. They need a firm editorial hand.

By: Paragon

Paragon — Fri, 18 Nov 2005 15:42:09 -0800

Oh, I dislike rugby myself, don't get me wrong, and the media wank was most amusing (although not, as newscouch notes, unusual) - they could have discussed the economic and infrastructure effects a bit more on Morning Report, frex, which was a very good reason for the govt to get involved. But as far as a sports obsession being a bad thing - I share my office with a fanatic who spends all day every day swapping rugby and cricket trivia with another fanatic, and as long as they're doing that he's not rattling on about the 'terrors of Political Correctness' talking points to me while I'm trying to work. That said, it's very easy to act patronising towards any obsession, but personally I find obsessions fascinating. Better alive with some passion than dead with none.