When the day is about everything but the game
December 3rd 2009 03:41
The time before and after a Rugby match are as important a part of the event as the game itself. Anticipation and closure are, after all, a crucial part of any contest. But often too, that time before and after, really makes the day.
There’s definitely something exciting about heading off to Twickenham for the Rugby. There’s the companionable train trip from Waterloo, flying the team colours and exchanging a bit of banter with the opposition’s supporters. There’s the hurried shoulder to shoulder walk through the streets, past suburban front gardens thrown open for sausages sizzles and beers, the quick browse at the merchandise stalls and the inevitable long turn around the stadium in search of the right gate. The suspense builds with every step.
There were a couple of new high points for us on the trek to Twickenham for the All Blacks/England and the New Zealand/England women’s test match three weeks ago. One was the garden Biryani stall and its tiny salesmen. Then, at the roundabout opposite Curry's Car Yard, we came across the eye-catching Maori Tourist Board van. With the St Joseph's Choir playing in the background and stunning scenes of Aotearoa scrolling around on a computer screen behind, reresentives Nuk Korako (Project Manager for the 2011 Rugby World Cup) and John Paul Hiroki along with members of Ngati Ranana Kapa Haka (London’s Maori Culture group) were a welcome and welcoming sight on the grey Twickenham streets. Nga mihi nui ki a koutou katoa!
Another exciting and suspense building prelude to the Rugby is the pre-match hype - cheer-leaders, bands and flag-bearers, flashing screens and the teams warming up. This year’s pre-match show was stolen by the gymnast somersaulting and pirouetting high above the crowd on a giant balloon.
Then there’s always some innovation, some never-seen - before invention or phenomenon made just for sports spectaculars, like the cushion cum flag, the two team scarf, the coloured paper squares that turn whole grandstands into enormous flags and last but not least the Mexican wave. After the Twickenham we discovered the human bar – blokes with beer tanks on their backs, tubes over their shoulders, taps on their chests and a stash of plastic glasses under their arms, garbed up like beer cans, cruising around with taps at the ready and dispensing fresh ale to the exiting crowd.
Thank goodness, though, for the walk down to Twickenham, the Biryanis, Ngati Ranana and the Maori Tourism Board, the balloon gymnast and the human beer bars. With the men’s game a muddle and the women’s all downhill after their stunning haka, these little things really made the day.
The gymnast on the balloon at Twickenham
There’s definitely something exciting about heading off to Twickenham for the Rugby. There’s the companionable train trip from Waterloo, flying the team colours and exchanging a bit of banter with the opposition’s supporters. There’s the hurried shoulder to shoulder walk through the streets, past suburban front gardens thrown open for sausages sizzles and beers, the quick browse at the merchandise stalls and the inevitable long turn around the stadium in search of the right gate. The suspense builds with every step.
A front garden restaurant in Twickenham
There were a couple of new high points for us on the trek to Twickenham for the All Blacks/England and the New Zealand/England women’s test match three weeks ago. One was the garden Biryani stall and its tiny salesmen. Then, at the roundabout opposite Curry's Car Yard, we came across the eye-catching Maori Tourist Board van. With the St Joseph's Choir playing in the background and stunning scenes of Aotearoa scrolling around on a computer screen behind, reresentives Nuk Korako (Project Manager for the 2011 Rugby World Cup) and John Paul Hiroki along with members of Ngati Ranana Kapa Haka (London’s Maori Culture group) were a welcome and welcoming sight on the grey Twickenham streets. Nga mihi nui ki a koutou katoa!
The Maori Tourism Board's 2011 World Cup Van
Another exciting and suspense building prelude to the Rugby is the pre-match hype - cheer-leaders, bands and flag-bearers, flashing screens and the teams warming up. This year’s pre-match show was stolen by the gymnast somersaulting and pirouetting high above the crowd on a giant balloon.
The human beer bars
Then there’s always some innovation, some never-seen - before invention or phenomenon made just for sports spectaculars, like the cushion cum flag, the two team scarf, the coloured paper squares that turn whole grandstands into enormous flags and last but not least the Mexican wave. After the Twickenham we discovered the human bar – blokes with beer tanks on their backs, tubes over their shoulders, taps on their chests and a stash of plastic glasses under their arms, garbed up like beer cans, cruising around with taps at the ready and dispensing fresh ale to the exiting crowd.
Thank goodness, though, for the walk down to Twickenham, the Biryanis, Ngati Ranana and the Maori Tourism Board, the balloon gymnast and the human beer bars. With the men’s game a muddle and the women’s all downhill after their stunning haka, these little things really made the day.
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