Rugby World Cup; Why All the Fuss?

When you hear the word ‘rugby’ what is the first country to pop into your head? New Zealand. As a Kiwi I am expected to follow the rugby avidly, knowing all the players names, strengths and weaknesses, owning as much paraphernalia covered in the silver fern as humanly possible, and voluntarily stand in the rain for a few hours to cheer on and support a rugby team I should most definitely know the name of. Hi, my name is Emma, and I am NOT a rugby-aholic.

You might think this confession would bring shame to my family name, but apparently I am not the only one who is getting more than sick of this almost unhealthy obsession NZ has with rugby. With the looming Rugby World Cup, the hype has reached a national high. I cannot go five minutes without being reminded in some way shape or form. A commercial on television every add break, billboards and posters on buses everywhere, and even a seven foot 3D plasma screen in the middle of Britomart Train Station counting down the days, hours, minutes and even seconds until we open the gates to the world for the World Cup.  There is even a burger at Mc Donalds sponsored by New Zealand’s rugby team, the All Blacks. And everywhere the rugby is being shoved in our faces, I’m hearing complaints by kids, dad’s and bus drivers… The usual sports fanatics. Has advertising started to destroy NZ’s passion for rugby?

The Rugby World Cup has seemed to take top priority at the moment, getting more news time then the struggling citizens of Christchurch after the recent earthquake, which has now taken a back seat to this impending event. Why is it that something so trivial has taken over our lives? I am no mathematician or accountant but I can see the Rugby World Cup  is costing our small country millions. One $2 Million giant plastic waka. $9.5 Million into a party “Wharf”. And do not get me started on the many stadiums being erected. All thanks to your friend, the tax payer. Believe it or not but even the way the academic year is usually organised has been changed to fit in with the Rugby World Cup games. An extra 2 weeks were added to the term so we could have a longer holiday later in the year. Although this sounds like a nice treat, it has caused some serious concerns for NCEA students as it interferes with their final exams and study. It is time to ask ourselves where our priorities lie.

I think it’s bad now, only forty more days and the real kick off begins. It’ll be the only topic of conversation for a good month… and God forbid the All Blacks don’t win! Although I am not a fan of this particular sporting obsession, a great majority of the country is. Or, was. With the extreme amount of advertising and hype, the typical fan could be converted to supporting chess.