Kiwi Pride
Rugby, rugby, rugby – it’s all we have talked about for the past six weeks. And it has been so exciting!
It has been about more than just who is on the field though – it’s been about national pride and showcasing our country to the world, not to mention putting on a fantastic party that everyone has had the opportunity to be a part of.
Kiwis are by nature a reserved bunch, very laid back in the way we express our feelings and show our support (she’ll be right mate!). There are always going to be the naysayers, but I have been highly impressed by the number of people who have jumped on the bandwagon and helped create an atmosphere of excitement and group bonding.
The last six weeks have been a truly amazing experience for New Zealand, with the influx of tourists well-handled and Kiwis showing everyone a great welcome and good time – we can be very proud of ourselves.
Opening night was epic – I don’t think I have seen so many people in the city at once, but even that didn’t compare to the atmosphere on the night of the Final. The whole country was abuzz. Twenty four years' worth of dreaming and praying culminating in one amazing showdown – an exact replica of the 1987 Final! We had to win!!
The best bit was that you could tell our boys in black were hanging in there (by the skin of their teeth) for their country – they knew we needed it after the many disasters (both natural and man-made) over the past 12 months, and they delivered!
I maintained my faith to the bitter end, but will admit to being very nervous, if not a little scared, for the last 33 minutes of the game (one point in it when anything can happen… we all know what those French are capable of…Eek!). A video from the Cloud fanzone in Central Auckland (where I was lucky enough to be) demonstrates the mixed feelings over the 80 crucial minutes - the excitement, then nervousness, then distress and finally the elation at winning!
From a media perspective the coverage has been great – but definitely swayed in our favour. Things like Gaddafi's death were a mere sidebar to the impending Final (they don’t call us a rugby nation for nothing). I did find one story on Campbell Live interesting – one of the reporters walked around an eerily quiet Central Auckland and Ponsonby in the middle of the game with not a soul in sight to highlight how involved the country was in the Final. My question is why was she not watching? Did she volunteer for this job? Craziness!
Social media was well and truly alive during the Tournament, with hashtags #RWC2011 #AllBlacks among others trending on Twitter, and people sharing their feelings about the ref missing that forward pass (again!) and who should be taking the penalty kicks.
I'd hate to think what would have happened had the Frenchies taken it in the end – I’m not certain as a nation we would’ve been able to handle it, but I have remained faithful to the end and knew our boys would not let us down, so let's not go down that road.
Another aspect to consider is the Victory Parade (organised in under 24 hours no less) – a spectacular event with a clear job of uniting the country in cheering the men, who, from 11pm on Sunday 23 October 2011 will forever be remembered as heroes in the minds of Kiwis . The parade was broadcast live, not just on TVNZ, but around the world (it was on CNN this morning), again highlighting on a global level, the passion and pride of New Zealanders.
All in all New Zealand put on a mighty fine event, with Kiwis and foreigners alike getting involved and helping create an amazing vibe which carried even the most cynical "rugby, schmugby" dissenters along for the ride. The pinnacle was of course, Richie McCaw holding the Webb Ellis Trophy aloft, surrounded by his teammates and a never ending sea of glitter.
To all the tourists – thanks for coming, we loved having you, we hope you had a good time, please come again soon.
To the French – Meilleure chance la prochaine fois.
To the Aussies – four more years I believe…
To all Kiwis – excellent hosting and showcasing of our beautiful country.
And finally, to each and every All Black (and Graham Henry) – Job well done boys, you can go and relax now :)