How to pick the best team to follow during the rugby world cup!

How to pick the best team to follow: If you don't have a particular local team to follow during the world cup colours are a great way to choose one.

So, find the team whose colours suit YOU best and become their fan. If black makes YOU look cute, follow the All Blacks.  If green and gold are your favourite colours well it's the Australian team for you as that's their sporting strip.  There are many stripes of red, blue and white.

When the forwards get into a huddle to fight for the ball the technical term is a scrum. Sometimes the “other team” behave badly when in this pack, (cluster or huddle) and have to be sent to the ‘sin bin’.

Learn history: NZ Rugby started in Nelson – it originated in the mid-1800s, in the UK, when some cheeky bloke called William Web-Ellis picked up the ‘foot’ ball and ran with it: or so I believe!

For your information: touch judges never touch anyone, and hookers are not REAL hookers – they are very import in the scrum as it’s their job to ‘hook the ball’ away for the ‘other’ team. When they do that they become happy-hookers, although this is not an official rugby term.

Learn some NEW ZEALAND rugby songs. Check them out here

Compare rugby players’ thighs: This tip is from Bearshapedshere whom I met via travel blogs and had coffee with as she set off to travel in New Zealand on a bike. Her advice was to ‘check out the size of the thighs on various players or supporters - if they are big, and they usually are - stand near them to make YOU look petite.’

Use Numerology: Pick the player to support and follow by his number ( which as you know equates to his position on the field) For me that would be an  easy choice, as my local team, (Canterbury/Crusaders ) and the All  Blacks #7 is the worlds #1 (Ritchie McCaw )

Look sporty: Even if you are not sporty - wear a fashion label that implies you are. I don't know if Miss World NZ is sporty or not but I took this photo of her in  trendy Rugby Girl clothes - and of course I wear it but don't look as great as this young woman does!

Learn the rules and rugby-speak: That will amaze the boys (and other rugby watching and playing girls too) then pick a team (or player) and support them totally: remember they can do no wrong! A sign at the Christchurch Central library – ‘books with balls’ – Well, rugby is a game with balls! The commentators often make (inadvertently) funny comments when talking about balls and you can too.

Crouch, touch, pause, engage. This is a rugby term used when the forwards get into a huddle to fight for the ball. It can be used as a timing strategy in many situations that need a few seconds countdown. A friend uses it daily in her to get in and out of her apartment

The three biggest men are put in the front row of the scrum, and the next two biggest get behind (they call these men ‘the tight five’ because they hang onto each other tightly) them and try to push the other team backwards.

The ‘backs’ have mathematical terms for some position names – for someone lousy at figures it is not strange that my teenage love played as ‘fullback’ or #15 rather than one of the five-eights. Other names such as ‘centre’ #13 and ‘wing’ (11 & 14) are self-explanatory 

The tight five is a dangerous place to be especially for ears. Many people don’t like cauliflower, and no-one wants their ears to be called that but many front-rowers have them because of repeated hits to the ear. Once this happens, the person's ear may look lumpy forever. Some wise players try to prevent this by wearing headgear.

Read rugby history: this link is about the 50 greatest All Blacks: Knowing this will impress your rugby-head mates

What were my qualifications for writing this blog?

I can spell Rugby; I'm a girl, and . . .

• I once, briefly, coached a rugby team of 7 or 8 year-old boys (Banks Avenue School)
• My husband coached a team ( Shirley Club)
• Buck Shelford is my cousie-bro (for the curious - his grandfather and my mother-in-law were twins) BUT, I’ve only met him once with the Maori All Blacks
• I’m a one-eyed Cantabrian and an All Blacks supporter
• My younger son played for Shirley, and Canterbury in the lowest grade (before become a hind-quarter amputee in motor-bike accident when he was 15)
• I opposed the Springboks playing in NZ and was even arrested in 1981 for protesting
• I'm opinionated and love fun - and these are my best qualifications to write this!

Iconic NZ rubgy grounds

Iconic New Zealand rugby grounds (from Tourism NZ)

(also check out my Girls Guide to Rugby .. add a tip)

Rising from cities, small towns and country paddocks filled with farmers’ stock, no part of New Zealand’s landscape is quite complete without a set of rugby goal posts.
Rugby is New Zealand’s most-played sport, and every Saturday more than 145,000 players lace up their boots and run onto rugby fields to chase the oval ball.

Some fields are no more than farm land while others are hallowed turf identified by instantly recognisable names and often-told stories of rugby’s great moments.

A rugby-lovers tour of New Zealand would not be complete without walking the turf on some of New Zealand’s iconic rugby pitches.

Eden Park - RWC final host
Eden Park is New Zealand’s largest stadium and has been a sports ground since 1900. Eden Park hosted the inaugural 1987 Rugby World Cup (RWC), and the 2011 RWC will be the second world cup to be held at the ground.

Some of New Zealand's proudest sporting moments have taken place on Eden Park, including the 1950 Empire Games, and the 1992 Cricket World Cup. In 1981, during the now infamous Springbok Tour, a match was interrupted by a low flying Cessna aircraft that flour-bombed the park.

In the heart of Auckland, New Zealand’s largest city, Eden Park is undergoing major redevelopment to increase capacity from 48,000 to 60,000 for the 2011 RWC. Eden Park features a Hall of Legends that opened in 2002 and contains 2000 items of significant New Zealand sporting memorabilia.

Rugby Park, Hamilton - Mooloo heaven
With more than 10,500 registered rugby players in the Waikato - a dairy farming region - it’s hardly surprising that cows and rugby have become inseparable.
Mooloo has become a common nickname for everything pertaining to the Waikato Rugby team and its supporters. A pantomime cow regularly grazes on Rugby Park during rugby matches while passionate supporters swing cow bells in the crowd.

Mooloo history is littered with the scalps of international teams who have ventured to Rugby Park and experienced the ferocity of the mighty Waikato team. In 1956 Waikato beat the South African team - the first time a provincial team had beaten a touring Springbok side.

Rotorua International Stadium - hot rugby location
Founded in 1911, the Rotorua International Stadium must be the only rugby stadium in the world set in a thermal wonderland amongst bubbling mud, hot pools and rumbling geysers.
Rugby-weary bodies can soak in the healing waters of the natural hot springs and spas - famed for their therapeutic qualities, and a major New Zealand tourist attraction since the late 1800s.

One of New Zealand's largest capacity sports venues, the stadium is the home of Bay of Plenty rugby. Despite an official capacity of 37,000, the largest crowd ever recorded at the stadium was in 1977 when the British Lions played Bay of Plenty in front of 39,000 fans.

Stadium Taranaki, New Plymouth - world class
Yarrow Stadium was named third best rugby ground in the world, the only ground in New Zealand to make the 2009 NZ Rugby World Magazine list. It scored points for its distinctly Kiwi atmosphere and the fact that it is a regional stadium in the spiritual home of rugby with picturesque Mt Taranaki visible in the background.

The rugby ground was also described as "tight," because the two stands are close to the pitch and spectators feel they are almost on top of the action. The players also feel the proximity of the spectators so it is a "shared, intense experience".

Mangatainoka, Wairarapa - grassroots best
Mangatainoka’s rugby ground is no more than a paddock but typifies the home of grassroots rugby in New Zealand. As an added bonus, this pitch is next door to one of the country’s best known breweries - Tui beer has been "distracting the boys from the task at hand since 1889".

The ground’s grandstand only holds 122 people, but a combined local effort of farmers, contractors and earth movers is levelling the field, removing sheep ruts and building temporary grandstands to host the 2010 Super 14 pre-season opening match. Locals say it will rival ‘big union’ projects underway for Rugby World Cup 2011, and that tickets will sell out faster than the 2011 RWC final.

Wellington Regional Stadium - ‘Rings’ battle cry
Fondly nicknamed "the cake tin", the Wellington Stadium opened on New Year’s Eve 1999, nine years after Wellington Rugby first decided to replace aging Athletic Park.
The stadium has become a successful large capacity venue that hosted the 2000 Edinburgh Military Tattoo - the first time the event was held outside Edinburgh, Scotland. It also hosts the IRB Sevens tournament each February, providing a party atmosphere that routinely spills over into the nearby city centre.

Another claim to fame was when, during a cricket match, film director Peter Jackson recorded 30,000 fans chanting a battle scene cry for his film The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers.

Botanical Gardens, Nelson - where it all began
New Zealand's first rugby game - under official rugby rules - was played in Nelson on 14 May 1870 between Nelson College and the Nelson Football Club. The game at Botanical Gardens was organised by Charles Monro, a Kiwi who had spent time studying (and playing rugby) in Britain.

A sign shaped like a rugby ball and goal posts marks the site of the original game which featured 18-player sides and attracted about 200 spectators.

Trafalgar Park, Nelson - this grass has glass
Trafalgar Park, named after the battle of Trafalgar, is not only one of New Zealand’s oldest sports grounds but also boasts the most unusual pitch - eco-friendly recycled glass that resembles sand.
Just a five-minute walk from Nelson’s city centre, with panoramic views of the surrounding countryside, Trafalgar Park is considered one of New Zealand’s most attractive rugby grounds.

Stadium Christchurch - rich heritage
Founded in 1880, Stadium Christchurch - formerly Lancaster Park - has long been a versatile venue. During WWI the ground was dug up to grow potatoes to support the war effort, it has hosted many events, including trotting, swimming, tennis, hot air ballooning, papal and royal visits.

The stadium has been through multiple name changes, and has been known as Jade Stadium, Fortress Jade and AMI Stadium. It is home to the Crusaders Super14 team.
Before the 2011 Rugby World Cup the Eastern Stands will be demolished and replaced with the new Deans Stand raising capacity to 45,000 and making it the second largest stadium in New Zealand after Eden Park.
Victoria Square, Westport - fits the whole town
Buller’s home ground seats just 5000 - not the biggest stadium by any means, but enough to seat the entire population of Westport and, according to locals, every spot is usually taken for the big games.

Hardy Westport natives say the best time to attend a game is in a good old fashioned West Coast downpour, ideally when their team Buller is playing neighbours and staunch rivals West Coast.

Carisbrook Stadium, Dunedin - "house of pain"
Known to locals as "The Brook", Carisbrook earned its nickname "house of pain" for being a difficult venue for visiting teams.
The main highway runs close to the northern boundary, and the roadside that offered punters a free view of the action became known as the "Scotsman’s Grandstand". At one time trains would slow to a crawl or stop on the track above the stadium allowing passengers to watch an entire event but a new stand and corporate boxes developed in 1998 blocked the view.

Carisbrook will be replaced by the 30,000-place Forsyth Barr Stadium, currently under construction for the 2011 RWC.
More information:
Four million Kiwis prepare to roar
2011 Rugby World Cup - host towns
2011 Rugby World Cup - match venues

rugby, tips for girls, and still getting fit!

Ages since I reported on my heath ... but had a check up last week and all my vital stats (to do with my diabetes) are much better with my 7 kg weight loss, so I'm continuing with my healthy eating: actually I have always eaten well and  now I am watching my portion sizes!

the weather over this summer has been the worst we have had for ages . when the stats come out I suspect it will not be a suprise as to why I removed my duvet on ONE NIGHT ONLY this summer - summer? what summer?

I have been making a list of tips for girls about rugby .. getting ready for the Rugby World Cup which is on in 2011 .. and having lots of fun with it: For the GIRLS GUIDE TO RUGBY check it out HERE