Aotearoa New Zealand All Dressed up for the Rugby World Cup
October 20th 2011 07:41
Given that Aotearoa New Zealand is a land that lives and breathes Rugby, it’s not surprising that it has embraced the 2011 Rugby World Cup with all its heart. What is surprising, however, is how demonstratively it’s done so.
We’ve always prided ourselves on our manaakitanga (our warm hospitality) So, it isn’t at all surprising that host towns all over the country have given visiting cup teams such a great welcome and such tremendous support. Nor is it surprising that the thousands of visiting supporters are full of praise for Kiwi hospitality.
We’ve always been ready pack the car (often well beyond its capacity) to travel miles and hours for a match. So, it’s not surprising that we’ve turned out in droves, no matter who’s playing, from Dunedin to Eden Park.
However we’ve always had a rather conservative cast of character (the weird, the eccentric, a few University students, the St Patrick’s College community during Taylorfest, the Wizard of Christchurch and the absolutely bonkers not withstanding!) Most of us have always been a little reluctant to “make bloody fools of ourselves” or “look bloody silly” Some of us have even muttered somewhat apologetically in the face of other nations’ excesses “Well there’s not much you can do with black”. So, it’s really quite surprising that in 2011, we’ve made complete bloody fools of ourselves, we’ve looked downright ridiculous and we’ve done all kinds of amazing things with black.
We’ve donned false beards, red, white and blue wigs and chooks’ costumes in support of the French. We’ve worn kilts for Scotland, leis and lavalavas for Tonga and Samoa. We’ve gone green for Ireland. We’ve danced in the streets. We’ve painted our sheep (yes, truly!) in the colours of the participating nations. In tiny Benneydale, way out in no man’s land between Te Kuiti and Taupo, life-sized cardboard Rugbymen from 20 different teams run along the lamp-posts. In the South Auckland, cup decoration fever caught like wild fire and consumed whole streets.
We’ve decked the country in All Blacks flags. We’ve draped ourselves in All Blacks flags. We’ve painted our faces in black (and white). And we’ve taken black costumes in directions we’d never imagined .
All dressed up for the All Blacks Canada Game
We’ve always prided ourselves on our manaakitanga (our warm hospitality) So, it isn’t at all surprising that host towns all over the country have given visiting cup teams such a great welcome and such tremendous support. Nor is it surprising that the thousands of visiting supporters are full of praise for Kiwi hospitality.
Flying the All Blacks' Flag
We’ve always been ready pack the car (often well beyond its capacity) to travel miles and hours for a match. So, it’s not surprising that we’ve turned out in droves, no matter who’s playing, from Dunedin to Eden Park.
Flying the All Blacks' Flag
However we’ve always had a rather conservative cast of character (the weird, the eccentric, a few University students, the St Patrick’s College community during Taylorfest, the Wizard of Christchurch and the absolutely bonkers not withstanding!) Most of us have always been a little reluctant to “make bloody fools of ourselves” or “look bloody silly” Some of us have even muttered somewhat apologetically in the face of other nations’ excesses “Well there’s not much you can do with black”. So, it’s really quite surprising that in 2011, we’ve made complete bloody fools of ourselves, we’ve looked downright ridiculous and we’ve done all kinds of amazing things with black.
A Kiwi French supporter
We’ve donned false beards, red, white and blue wigs and chooks’ costumes in support of the French. We’ve worn kilts for Scotland, leis and lavalavas for Tonga and Samoa. We’ve gone green for Ireland. We’ve danced in the streets. We’ve painted our sheep (yes, truly!) in the colours of the participating nations. In tiny Benneydale, way out in no man’s land between Te Kuiti and Taupo, life-sized cardboard Rugbymen from 20 different teams run along the lamp-posts. In the South Auckland, cup decoration fever caught like wild fire and consumed whole streets.
Pre-match face painting in a Mount Eden Garden
We’ve decked the country in All Blacks flags. We’ve draped ourselves in All Blacks flags. We’ve painted our faces in black (and white). And we’ve taken black costumes in directions we’d never imagined .
All dressed up for the Cup
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