Rugby

This weekend, we attended our first rugby match. The Auckland Blues took on the Wellington Hurricanes in an 80 minute non-stop battle of brawn.
Although Megan has almost no understanding of the game of rugby, it was good fun to take in the atmosphere. Rugby is the country’s most passionately supported sport and the crowd is not too far from typical American football fans.

Megan and I had a good time recapping the similarities and differences between a rugby match and an American sporting event. Here are some of our favorites:

Beer
American: Bud Light
Kiwi: Speights

Snack
American: Nacho’s
Kiwi: Chips (a.k.a French-fries)

Half time show
American: Musical performance
Kiwi: Samoan war dance

Pre-game preparation
American: Tailgates
Kiwi: Pints at the pub

Stadium size
American: Regularly sellout 100,000+ seats
Kiwi: First sellout since 1987 at around 37,000

Cat call
American: "Show your tits!"
Kiwi: "Show me your rack of lamb!"

Public service announcement
American: Don’t drink and Drive
Kiwi: Don’t drink and Fry (unattended cooking is the leading cause of house fires in NZ)

Ok, so I many not convert to a full blown rugby fan while here, but I had a great time being a kiwi fan for the night! Let’s go Blues!