Black As Night

I will admit, I purely bought an All Blacks ticket because of peer pressure.  I had never seen much rugby before, and I'm not much of a sports fan anymore.  But, I had American friends tell me I just had to see an All Blacks game, and half of my flat mates were going.  I caved and bought a ticket, and it's a good thing, because I had an amazing night!

And the All Blacks score!

To start off, I got an amazing seat.  I was the in the front row of the bleachers (there were about 5 rows of on-field seats in front of me, but still) and one of my best friends sat next to me the whole game.  Together, we cheered and fawned over the team.  The All Blacks (NZ's national rugby team) was playing against the Australian Wallabies, and both played incredibly well (the All Blacks won, of course).  Though I don't know much about the rules of rugby, it was easy to follow and pick some up.  

What was great about this game is that it was non-violent.  Let me explain: Rugby is roughly like a combination of American Football and Soccer.  But unlike those two, the players are show sportsmanship and kindness to their opponents and the referees.  All the time in other sports players get in fights and arguments with refs and opponents.  But in rugby, they beat each other up so much on the field, that there is no need for it off the clock.  I loved watching opponents help each other up, players explain to fans why a ref made a call, and no one throw a punch.  

This is a line-out.

I also loved watching other fans.  At one point, about 3/4 of the way through the game, people were getting a little bored.  The All Blacks were winning and it had been a while since a goal (try) was scored.  So a section of the stands started a (Mexican) wave--and it went around the stadium a full three and a half times.  At this point, the fans were cheering on the other spectators and booing when they didn't participate.  

Finally, I think I am going to add rugby to one of my favorite sports to watch.  So far, my list is: ice hockey (Philly Flyers!), softball (baseball is too slow and I'm biased), and gymnastics (Olympic, of course).  But rugby has such strong teamwork--I mean, they lift a teammate into the air to catch a throw-in (line-out)--ample amounts of rough and tough sportiness, and requires a lot of talent and practice which makes it entertaining to watch.  Plus, the games are not too long.  

Let's just say, I won't be seeing too many more All Blacks games in person, but seeing them play and perform the haka was an exhilarating experience.  I'll be sure to keep up online with the games and scores.  And who knows, maybe the first sporting event that I will watch my school play will be rugby!

Check out the fans doing the Wave!