Rugby, Rugby, Rugby and of Course More Rugby

As you probably already know we were in New Zealand this month and toured around the North Island. We were in New Zealand while the RWC (Rugby World Cup) was going on. It all started in the airport. They redid part of the carpet to make it look like a rugby field and the bleachers were painted on the walls. The good old RWC logo was in the corner of the painted bleachers. It has lines that form the shape of a rugby ball (almost the same as a football) with “iRB” (international Rugby Board (I’m not exactly sure on the last word)) written on it. Then it also says “RWC”.

It further advances. Signs everywhere say “RWC” and “The world’s here to play”. Three different kinds of balls are for sale at almost every store. I bought a Super Midi that is a relatively small ball. You go on tours and everything relates to rugby. Go All Blacks. All Blacks is the New Zealand team.

I like rugby because it uses almost every muscle in the human body, the game is not long, it’s fun and sometimes even funny. Only 80 minutes. It is a little violent because of the tackling fights. Touch rugby is where instead of tackling you touch the other person and you get the ball but it’s more for kids and not as exciting.

 

Then we come back to Fiji and rugby was on: All Blacks vs. Australia fighting to get into the finals. At the beginning of every game that New Zealand plays, they do the ‘Haka’, a famous Maori War dance(see right). My dad and I went to see the game on television at a restaurant with a lot of other people watching with us.  It was noisy! New Zealand won with 20-6. Now the next game is for the final Cup: New Zealand vs. France. I can’t wait until the final game and for four years when the next RWC game is on.

-Harrison in Fiji