Rugby and Halloween wrap-up

Wow, the craziness has subsided.  Rugby World Cup is over (New Zealand – The All Blacks defeated France in the final, in case you live in a cave, under a rock, with earplugs on).  It actually wasn’t the most amazing game to watch (it was intense.  Those dastardly French almost had us!  We only beat them by 1 measly point!).  The NZ v. Australia semi-final was much more exciting – and incredibly brutal, I might add!

RWC fever is over.  The tourists are all gone (we only have cruise ship tourists now.  Ugh.  aka: How to spot a retired American couple from 100 yards).  Graham Henry has stepped down as coach of the ABs now that he has his RWC win.  And it’s another 4 years ’til England (who will be the 2015 hosts).  Four years to save, that is!  I would definitely attend another RWC.  It was SO MUCH FUN!  Maybe it was more fun as a hosting country, but the past 8 weeks have just had this amazing positive energy vibe.  It’s been incredible.  It wasn’t something you could capture on film.  And it’s not something I can adequately convey in words.  You just had to be here to feel it.  2015 probably won’t be the same.  But, I reckon it would still be very fun to follow the ABs through their next RWC campaign.  So save up, I shall…  : D  And I have all that expensive (‘professional grade’) black and white hair paint – I didn’t buy it for nothing!

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Another Halloween has past (yes, I pulled off the matador costume at the last minute.  Not quite as sparkly as I would have liked, but there were only so many sequins I could sew on at the absolute last minute (yes I was wearing my costume at the time).  Sure, there was no Dia de los Muertos party like I wanted (since I am now sans-house), but I went as a matador regardless of the fact that I had no bull.  And in a costume like this, who needs one?!  And of course, there can always be Dia de los Muertos parties in the future!

The Matador

Can I just say how fun it was dressing up as a man?!  My flatmate gave me a big (further) inflated ego by saying it takes a lot of balls to dress up as a man (I think she used the term guts, but I prefer balls, particularly in this context).  Especially since I actually looked quite, er, mannish.  The mustache, in particular, added to the effect (and to think I wasn’t sure if I should wear it or not!).  In fact, many people commented on how well the Mo suited me.  I am slightly flattered and creeped out at the same time.  But man oh man, it was fun pretending to be a Matador!  I always love something a little different or unusual, so to be dressed up on Halloween and not *trying* to look sexy as so many of my contemporaries do was – it felt, well, empowering!  I think I might wear a non-sexy costume every year!  My new motto:

“Thou shalt not give in to the pressure to look and dress like a skank on Halloween.”

Speaking of amazing, non-sexy costumes for women, this is probably the coolest one I saw.  An absolute inspiration!

Shipwreck costume by Threadless.com staff member (from facebook)

Angler-fish costume in 2012, anyone?

Rugby. It’s like a contagious fever and you can’t help but catch it.

All Blacks waiting to take the field

Wow.  I have finally succumbed to a sport.  Rugby.

I know I know.  But really, you just don’t understand how little I enjoy watching sports in general.  Back in college, I am pretty sure I was the only one without season football tickets.  Honestly, all of my 5 roommates had them.  I could have cared less.  I think I went to one or two homecoming games.  Might have only been one.

Baseball.  Meh.  Soccer.  Even more meh.  Ice hockey is pretty cool but I never really got into that either.  Tennis and golf are actually painful to watch.  Olympics?  Yeah they’re cool but I don’t really get emotionally involved.

But here in NZ, Rugby is the sport.  And it’s not just with the RWC being hosted here right now.  I watched the televised games of the 2007 RWC when it was in France.  I remember getting up at like 6am to watch us get beaten by France in the quarterfinal!

I have been, in person, to an All Blacks game (2008 v South Africa).  I will probably even go to another one (especially next time they come to Dunners…  we do have that new expensive stadium and all).  I have even seen the Highlanders (Otago team) play, and of course, my token RWC game, England v. Georgia.

Rugby. It's brutal. Abs 28 yr old Cory Jane

Rugby is well – actually very entertaining to watch (especially for a sport!).  And last night’s game against Australia was one of the most amazing games I’ve ever seen.  Why?  Because NZ and Australia are quite well matched (NZ just rolls over other teams.  Poor Canada and Japan didn’t stand a chance), and there is a long and passionate rivalry between the two.  Did I mention losing was not an option for NZ (Pike River Mine tragedy, Christchurch Earthquake, and lately the Rena shipwreck/oil spill…  honestly NZ just cannot handle anymore bad stuff this year).  They players were absolutely at the top of their game and it was a beautiful (and brutal) thing to behold.  Cruden was especially magnificent (imagine being 22, 3rd string and having to play!  Such intense pressure with Dan Carter* and Colin Slade both nursing injured groins)!

I’ve caught the rugby fever.  I LOVE watching this game (it’s fast paced, exciting, and a little bit barbaric).  I am already making plans to watch the final (next Sunday).  And I am actually thinking how fun it would be to travel wherever the next RWC is and cheer on NZ (in 2015)!  How crazy is that?  But this really is the peak of the sport.  Attending games of the RWC is fun – there is this amazing atmosphere.  People are dressed up in their team’s colours, they’re out having a good time – it’s an amazing positive feeling that you can’t help but want to be a part of…  well, if your team is the best, that is.  NZ clearly is.  We’re in the final for the first time in 16 years (yet we’ve never lost a pool match.  Ever.).  And this year we’re going to win the whole thing (the last time NZ won was in 1987, the first ever RWC, against France, and the RWC was held here in NZ).  And I’m gonna be here when it happens.  It’s going to be amazing.

*Dan Carter is one the All Black’s number one players, for my non-kiwi readers

P.S.  check out this Irish fan.  Amazing, eh?  Gonna try and give him a run for his money on Sunday!