RUGBY WORLD CUP: Georgia v Romania. The day after

Met these blokes sauntering down Palmerston North day after big match.

RUGBY WORLD CUP: Yamaha Kiwi meets RugInt

Well folks it’s just a damn shame you couldn’t join us. YK and I met up for beer and pizza at a new Auckland waterfront watering hole.


RugInt at Eden Park at the end of New Zealand v France.
It’s a toss-up as to which was the more amazing rugby time
of my life. This game or opening Ceremony and NZ v
Tonga. I’m still going for Opening Ceremony, but only
just!!

RUGBY WORLD CUP: Georgia v Romania

I wasn’t able to upload all my pics around this game until I fixed up the Live Writer programme to do it without hassles. That’s done so here we go.
Firstly, more pre match entertainment

 
These guys are travelling around NZ in cool bus.
Pictures taken on the streets of Palmerston North
before the game.
  
Some interesting side-tracking sights. Top shows
a bike rack where you can lock up your bike in
public. Bottom picture I think might be a huia, a
now extinct native bird.


In the City Square itself there was plenty for the young to do before
the big game. Left: Kick the ball from the tee into the washing machine
bowl. I was tempted! Right: Now pass the ball into the machine
itself. This fellow succeeded and then tried to do it with a back-flip
pass which was not so successful.
   
Okay now you can pass the ball to hit the skittles or try a punt kick into
the bowl. This all took place in side a large marquee.


How about a try at knee-rugby on a blow-up field?

All the activities were set in this most picturesque inner-city
park. Right: You could have your photo simulated in with those
of your selected All Blacks. A great idea and very popular with
the young.
 
Another competition at left where you try to get to the other end without being
bowled over by suspended and swinging massive rugby balls. On the right a
band kept up the pace in the park.
  
As the time got closer to kickoff many hundreds had entered the square.
Manawatu Arena was just down the road.


Pre match costume display time. Manawatu is now famous for its buckethead
approach to supporting your rugby team. It’s simple. Select a coloured plastic bucket of choice and then cut out the front and you’ve done.

Flags are important part of patriotic costuming..
 
Time to walk to the game. Painted signs on the footpath just as a help.


Bucketheads for sale. Proceeds to charity.
 
Local lasses are all bucketted, coloured and
ready for the game.

RUGBY WORLD CUP: Georgia v Romania

Pre Match Pics
Palmerston North is a beautiful city situated right in New Zealand's heartland of rugby. The local provincial rugby union is Manawatu, who play in the NPC Premier division.

The Manawatu will host two games in the 2011 Rugby World Cup. Georgia v Romania, Wednesday 28 September, Argentina v Georgia, Sunday 2 October.

Last night thousands of locals and visitors converged on the Manawatu Arena to watch Georgia play Argentina. The locals came out and supported either Georgia or Romania.

Before the game I ventured into 'The Square''where all the pre game festivities were held.

The Square buildings had the flags of the three
nations being hosted in the city this week.



More pics later when I download the proper

live writer programme.

WORLD CUP RUGBY: The Game. Samoa 27, Fiji 7

After the spectacle and the hype pre game, the game itself had its moments, especially the second half, but it never reached great heights.

Samoa were just too well organised in defence and snuffled out most Fijian attacks. It wasn’t until the second half that the game became more interesting but one felt, although we waited expectantly in vain, that Fiji would narrow the score and make a close game of it. That never happened.

As was the case in last night game, there were plenty of injuries. Whilst Fiji has no chance now of making the quarter finals, Samoa has to front up to South Africa next weekend. We will have to wait and see how the injury list from the game pans out.

 

Just before kickoff, the crowds take every opportunity to wave their flags
and make as much noise as they can. The view was a sea of blue, red and light blue.

For the first time we saw two island war dances at the same time. The response
from the crowd was deafening.

Once the game was over there was a touching scene where both teams joined
in prayer at the end of a fierce encounter. Now you tell me in what other
sport would you find that happening. That is one reason why I love this game.
Both teams saluted their supporters at the end of the game.

 

As you can imagine it went down well with the crowd.

 

This Samoan supporter stripped to the waist at the end of the game and did his own
war dance. A victory dance perhaps? Then he was joined by the lady on the left.
They then did their dance together. Just fantastic!

Tomorrow (Monday) I’m off to Palmerston North to see how rural New Zealand
handles the 2011 Rugby World Cup.

RUGBY WORLD CUP: New Zealand v France. Before The Game

Before the game a tried to capture the atmosphere around the streets of Kingsland, the suburb of Eden Park.

 

The  variety of costumes worn by the French supporters was amazing.
Lower left. A large number of Argentina supporters!

 

Napoleon and right hand man at right.

Flags were prominent. Basques at right.

This T-shirt caught my eye. The New Zealand supporters came up
with their own ways of showing support for the All Blacks.

 
Right-A group of Japanese students getting into the festive mood. They supported
the All Blacks on one side of their faces, and ‘Les Blues’ on the other.

 
Right. Difficult to see but by the railway station a temporary bar was set up (right)
There were others along the streets of Kingsland.

 

Below. Closer to Eden Park the crowds began to swarm to their seats.
There was plenty of entertainment outside the ground.

 

Left. A couple on stilts were waltzing. Right-Polynesian group of musicians
and dancers.

Musicains left and more dancers right.

Amazing winged creatures on stilts.

 
Lots of French slogans. Maori warriors to the right.