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« All Blacks win the Lego World Cup | | Festive Countdown - December 1 » September 8, 2011 Posted on 09/08/2011 Let's get this party started 'Let's get this party started' trumpeted the New Zealand Herald this morning with the big Rugby World Cup kick off just a day away and I couldn't agree more. After four flights, three countries, two breakfasts, a couple of half decent movies, a smattering of ex-internationals and the best part of 12,000 miles I have touched down in Dunedin ready for the sport's seventh showpiece event. And I am not the only one primed for a feast of international rugby - New Zealand is clearly ready too. From the amusing appearance by the All Blacks in the Air New Zealand safety video, to the blanket advertising linking no end of products to the battle for Bill, to the numerous magazine covers featuring a certain Richie McCaw we are quite clearly in a country that is going to embrace the tournament like no other before it. To borrow one well-used corporate tag line, New Zealand is 'crazy for rugby' and there are reminders of that fact at every turn. Long gone are the doubts about awarding the country the tournament in the first place and you will no longer hear concerns about its ability to house what is hailed as the world's third biggest sporting event. Instead, there is a widely held belief that New Zealand's passion for the sport and their dedication to the All Blacks in particular should inspire great things in the coming weeks. OK, the tournament may be some way from being 'sold-out' and the potential revenues for New Zealand may sufffer (the International Rugby Board are fine thanks to the guaranteed hosting fee estimated at NZ$150m) but you sense this tournament will be richer in other ways thanks to the country's unique relationship with the sport. All we need now is for the rugby to deliver. It all kicks off with hosts New Zealand tackling Tonga at Auckland's Eden Park on Friday night - bring it on. Comments
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