{25 days of hotness} day twenty five!

{25 days of hotness}

day twenty five

aka the hottest of the hot!

MERRY CHRISTMAS

JASON WOODWARD
*Melbourne Rebels*

{25 days of hotness} day twenty four

{25 days of hotness}

day twenty four

... do I really need to introduce this guy?
(Richie McCaw... OBVIOUSLY!)

{25 days of hotness} day twenty three

{25 days of hotness}

day twenty three

MATT TODD
*Crusaders, Canterbury, All Blacks*

{25 days of hotness} day twenty two

{25 days of hotness}

day twenty two

JARRAD HOEATA
*Highlanders, Taranaki, Maori All Blacks*

{25 days of hotness} day twenty one

{25 days of hotness} 

day twenty one

RORY SIDEY
*ex Rebels*

{25 days of hotness} day twenty

{25 days of hotness} 

day twenty

ZAC GUILDFORD
*Crusaders, Hawke's Bay & Maori All Blacks*

{25 days of hotness} day nineteen

{25 days of hotness}

day nineteen

LUKE MCALISTER
*Tolouse*

{25 days of hotness} day eighteen

{25 days of hotness} 

day eighteen

RYAN CROTTY
*Crusaders, Canterbury & All Blacks*

{25 days of hotness} day seventeen

{25 days of hotness}

day seventeen

MIKE PHILLIPS
*Racing Metro & Wales*

{25 days of hotness} day sixteen

{25 days of hotness}

day sixteen

PIERRE SPIES
*Bulls, Springboks*

{25 days of hotness} day fifteen

{25 days of hotness}

day fifteen

PADDY DELLIT
*Western Force*

{25 days of hotness} day fourteen

{25 days of hotness}

day fourteen

DAVID POCOCK
*Brumbies & Wallabies*

{25 days of hotness} day thirteen

{25 days of hotness}

day thirteen

SCOTT HIGGINBOTHAM
*Rebels & Wallabies*

{25 days of hotness} day twelve

{25 days of hotness}

day twelve

HUGH PYLE
*Rebels & Wallabies wider training squad*

{25 days of hotness} day eleven

{25 days of hotness}

day eleven

TONY LAMBORN
*Hawke's Bay*

{25 days of hotness} day ten

{25 days of hotness}

day ten

BEN MOWEN
*Brumbies & Wallabies*

{25 days of hotness} day nine

{25 days of hotness} 

day nine

BEN COHEN
*ex-England*
(& daddy to twin girls)

{25 days of hotness} day eight

{25 days of hotness}

day eight

TIM VISSER
*Edinburgh & Scotland*

{25 days of hotness} day seven

{25 days of hotness}

day seven

CORY JANE
*Hurricanes & All Blacks*

{25 days of hotness} day six

{25 days of hotness}

day six

LIAM MESSAM
*Chiefs & All Blacks*

{25 days of hotness} day five

{25 days of hotness}

day five

KIERAN READ
*Crusaders & All Blacks*

{25 days of hotness} day four

{25 days of hotness}

day four

JOE WHEELER
*Tasman, Highlanders, Maori All Blacks*

{25 days of hotness} day three

{25 days of hotness}

day three

DOM BIRD
*Crusaders, All Blacks & 2013 Barbarians*

{25 days of hotness} day two

{25 days of hotness}

day two

FELIPE CONTEMPOMI
*ex-Argentina*

{25 days of hotness} day one

{25 days of hotness}

day one...

SAM WHITELOCK!
*Crusaders & All Blacks*

The Unbeatables!

Ryan Crotty scores the winning try v Ireland

(also published on Pink Rugby)

After the All Blacks’ win against the Springboks in Johannesburg it became apparent the 2013 All Blacks team was something special.  Now almost two months later and after securing their 14^th win from 14 games – completing the season undefeated – it is obvious that the 2013 All Blacks are the best All Blacks team.  Ever.  Some would say that the fact they went undefeated was down to luck.  If that Johnny Sexton penalty had gone over, if the TMO had disallowed this try or that, if a knock on had been called… Regardless of whether it was luck or skill that got them there, the All Blacks are the first team to go undefeated in the professional era, earning themselves the moniker of ‘The Unbeatables’.

But it isn’t the fact they made it through 2013 that makes them the best All Blacks team ever… no, it is a LOT more than that.  The first thing that comes to mind for me is the depth of talent in the squad (and in New Zealand rugby in general) and the way that that depth is put to use.  All teams have their core players, the guys who will start every single game… in the All Blacks the core players that come to mind are Richie McCaw, Kieran Read, Aaron Smith, Dan Carter & Conrad Smith, but for a bulk of the remaining positions there is true contest between players to get that starting spot.  The wing is a

All Blacks v Japan

prime example of this, our cup really overfloweth as far as outside backs go with Julian Savea, Ben Smith, Charles Piutau, Francis Halai and Cory Jane all battling it out at training for the #11 and #14 jerseys.  One thing I have noticed over the course of this season is when an injury strikes one of those core players, panic no longer ensues.

Why is this?  It is simply because we know that the 2^nd, 3^rd, even 4^th string players in most positions are able to step up to the mark and give a solid performance… In 2011 when it was announced Dan Carter was out of the World Cup there really was an atmosphere of doom and gloom, of utter panic… how the hell could we compete without Dan Carter?  DC ended up being injured for a bulk of the 2013 season and there wasn’t that same panic.  I would say there wasn’t even concern over how we would cope without DC, because Aaron Cruden has proven he has the skill set, the composure and the drive to play 1^st five for the All Blacks.  It is almost at the point that Aaron Cruden is going to be challenging Dan Carter for that #10 jersey in the very near future.  Then there is Beauden Barrett who has grown immensely as a player this year, and I think that if neither Dan

All Blacks v South Africa

Carter or Aaron Cruden could take on the #10 duties, Beaudy could take the reigns and play just as well as either Carter or Cruden.  If by some bad strike of luck Carter, Cruden and Barrett were out, Tom Taylor is waiting in the wings and showed in the second Bledisloe test that he is a very capable #10.

Let’s be realistic, with the ‘luck’ of the All Blacks #10′s, it is probably a good thing we have such depth in that position.

The depth doesn’t just lie in the senior, more seasoned All Blacks.  Steve Hansen has introduced new players into the squad during his two seasons as coach, immersing them in the All Blacks environment in a way that allows them to work on their game and to learn from the more experienced players on the team.  Some might not get a LOT of game time, but they are still fully immersed in that environment and are continuously developing as players.  Hansen shows a lot of faith in the newer players and I don’t know exactly what he does or how it happens, but when these young guys DO get on the field they appear to just seamlessly fit in.  None of them have looked out of place in that black jersey, and the glimpses of brilliance you do get to see are enough to know that these new players are going to have long careers ahead of them.

One player that immediately comes to mind for me is Steven Luatua.  The 22 year old Blues lock/flanker was called into the squad for the French internationals in June and ended up featuring in 11 of the All Blacks 14 games this season.  When Liam Messam got injured early in the Rugby Championship, Steven Luatua was thrust into the blind-side flanker position, and after just his first start in the #6 jersey looked completely at home beside Richie McCaw in the scrum.  Charlie Faumauina was another new-ish player who impressed this season, along with Charles Piutau on the wing and in his limited game time, Ryan Crotty at centre.  It is a pity that TJ Perenara didn’t get any game time, but hopefully he will have his chance in 2014.

I do have to comment that it is a little worrying that we don’t have depth at hooker, especially when two of our three hookers are 34 and 35 and likely don’t have a lot of time left in the black jersey.  Dane Coles is developing now, but we NEED to blood another hooker in 2014 so that when RWC2015 rolls around, we have the necessary depth and experience.

Ireland v All Blacks

Along with the incredible depth of talent, the All Blacks have a degree of mental toughness that I don’t believe has been seen in international rugby before.  All Blacks mental skills coach (Gilbert Enoka) has done a brilliant job with the team helping them develop a strong sense of belief on both the individual and collective level.  This belief in themselves and in each other has helped the All Blacks develop a strong and positive team culture, where no player is seen as being bigger than the team… On Monday (local time) Richie McCaw spoke about how it was that belief that enabled them to win the game against Ireland, saying “I’ve never, ever given up, and always been proud of All Black teams, that no matter whether you’re behind, seemingly out of the game, you never stop believing there’s a chance.”

I think it is this mental toughness that makes the All Blacks continuously strive to be the best that they can be and the adage ‘you are only as good as your last game’ seems to be something which drives the All Blacks.  In Richie McCaw’s (or stand-in skipper, Kieran Read’s) post match interviews the words ‘looking to improve next week’ (or something along those lines) are always uttered, regardless of how the team has played.  Just how ingrained this mindset now is within the team was on display when in an interview Kieran Read was talking about next year and the fact the All Blacks would need to play better than they had this year because teams are always improving and that is something they have to do as well.

France v All Blacks

The final part of why I think the 2013 All Blacks are the best All Black team we have seen comes down to the captain.  Inspirational, motivational, hard working, with a real love for the game.  I (as with any Kiwi) could go on and on about how awesome Richie is, but I think it comes down to this.  The team saw the lengths Richie went to to help the All Blacks win the RWC in 2011 – playing on a broken foot – if that doesn’t show his love and commitment to the black jersey, I don’t know what does.  After taking his sabbatical in the first half of the year, Richie seemed to come back very refreshed – and FOCUSED – and is playing rugby with renewed passion.  It was during the close games of the season that the effectiveness of McCaw’s leadership really showed through.  He was able to keep the players calm and to draw on their self-belief to play hard right until the final whistle.

One has to wonder what would have happened if the All Blacks had had any other captain for that final game against Ireland… could ANYONE else have kept the team so focused and confident?  Kieran Read is obviously the incumbent All Blacks captain, and while I’m not sure he could have done what Richie did in this game, I know that in years to come he WILL do the same, because let’s face it – he is learning from the best. 

Richie said this after the game: “For me as captain, as soon as I drop my head, what are the other boys going to do? You’ve got to remember while there’s still time, there’s a chance,” and I think this personifies him as a player and as a leader.

If I had to sum it up into one word, that word would be FOCUSED.  The All Blacks and their management are strongly focused.

• they are focused on themselves as individuals, being the best players they can be
• they are focused on their team unit, on being the best team they can be, both on the field and off the field
• they are focused on the game at hand
• they are focused on what is to come
• they are focused on improving their performance with each game
• they are focused on developing and improving their skills
• they are focused on the future of the team, and of the game in general
• they are focused on learning from those with more experience, and teaching those with less experience
• they are focused on creating strong leaders, as far as both captaining the team and and as senior players go

The unbeaten All Blacks in the sheds after their win over Ireland

The All Blacks being at the peak of their game can only be a good thing for world rugby – it is no secret that other teams try to be as good as the All Blacks – so with the All Blacks’ game improving it means that other teams are also improving… lifting their games to try and do what it takes to beat the so-called ‘Unbeatables’.  You just have to look at how Ireland played in the All Blacks final game of the season to see this in action.

ITM Cup finals review

(also published on Pink Rugby)

Well… that’s that!  The ITM Cup has officially come to a close for another year!  In 2013 ALL ITM Cup & Heartland Championship trophies went to Crusader feeder teams – Canterbury won the premiership title, Tasman the championship title, while Mid Canterbury and South Canterbury took out the two trophies in the Heartland Championship.  Of the ITM Cup finals one game came down to one solitary point, while the other had a 16 point deficit.  Both games were exciting and I think anyone watching would agree that the four teams who deserved to be in the final were in the final.
Want to know what happened?  Well here goes…


Championship final
Tasman 26 v Hawke’s Bay 25
Tries  Tasman 3 – Hawke’s Bay 3

Tasman celebrate after winning the championship division

What a game.  After taking an early lead it looked as if Hawke’s Bay were on their way to a somewhat surprise win.  For the first twenty minutes of the match it was one way traffic with Hawke’s Bay dominating in all facets of the game.  But then something happened and suddenly Tasman were back and we had a real game on our hands.  Tasman scored two tries in quick succession just before half time and had a healthy 23-10 lead when the teams went back into the sheds.  In the second half Hawke’s Bay fought back and at 78 minutes the score was 26-20.  Chris Eaton scored 30 seconds later and suddenly the scores were 26-25 with the conversion attempt to come, the success of which determining who would take home the championship trophy.  Ihaia West missed that conversion and the Tasman team began their celebration.  Not only did they win the championship division but they also earnt promotion to the premiership division for next season.  Both Marty Banks and Ihaia West had a bit of a hit and miss night with the boot, but in the end it was Marty Banks who won the battle of the #10 jersey.
Player that impressed:  Shane Christie.  The Tasman captain won important turnovers when it was needed.
Surprise win?  Not really.
My prediction?  Wrong (Hawke’s Bay 1-12).

Premiership final
Wellington 13 v Canterbury 29
Tries  Wellington 1 – Canterbury 4

Canterbury celebrate after winning the premiership division
for the sixth season in a row!

After all the hype surrounding this game and the many predictions that the 2013 Lions would be the team to FINALLY steal the ITM Cup trophy from Canterbury’s clutches, the game was a bit anti-climactic.  It WAS a good game… more so from Canterbury’s side of things than Wellington’s, BUT it was clear that the two teams meant to be in the final were in the final.  As with past years, Canterbury stepped their performance up by about 50 notches when it came to the final.  I don’t know what it is about that team but when when it matters they make it count.  The Canterbury team were dominant on both attack and defense and held Wellington to just one try.  Whenever Wellington made an error Canterbury made sure they took advantage of it and scored tries.  It was a little sad really that Wellington weren’t able to provide more of a challenge for the Canterbury team.  They were the in form team of the competition and only lost one game during the round robin, but they were no match for a hungry Canterbury team.
Player that impressed:  Andy Ellis.  I think most Kiwis were left scratching their heads after Saturday night’s match, wondering how on earth Andy Ellis is not wearing the black jersey.
Surprise win?  Depends which team you were backing…
My prediction?  Correct (Canterbury 13+)!
With no predictions to make I guess all that leaves me with are a few statistics to share!

ITM Cup Hundy Club
(players who scored 100+ points in the 2013 season)
170pts – Hayden Parker (Otago) & Marty Banks (Tasman)
169pts – Ihaia West (Hawke’s Bay)
149pts – Lima Sopoaga (Wellington)
127pts – Simon Hickey (Auckland)
120pts – Trent Renata (Waikato)
119pts – Willie Ripia (Bay of Plenty)
117pts – Tyler Bleyendaal (Canterbury)

ITM Cup Top Try Scorers
8 – Milford Keresoma (Canterbury)
7 – Telusa Veainu (Hawke’s Bay), Liam Squire (Tasman)
6 – Lolagi Visinia (Auckland), James Lowe (Tasman), Zac Guildford (Hawke’s Bay)

Team Standings After Round Robin
Premiership
Wellington – 42
Canterbury – 40
Auckland – 36
Counties Manukau – 28
Waikato – 21
Taranaki – 14
Bay of Plenty – 8

Championship
Tasman  – 36
Otago – 30
Hawke’s Bay – 29
Southland – 20
Manawatu – 18
Northland – 13
North Harbour – 10

Path to the Final
Premiership
Wellington v Counties Manukau (41-10)
Canterbury v Auckland (56-26)
Wellington v Canterbury (13-29)

Championship
Tasman v Southland (49-28)
Otago v Hawke’s Bay (24-29)
Tasman v Hawke’s Bay (26-25)

ITM Cup hotty of the week

Ryan Crotty!

age:  25

position:  midfield

teams:  Canterbury, Crusaders, All Blacks

ITM Cup hotty of the week

Brad Shields!

age:  22

position:  loose forward

teams:  Wellington & Hurricanes

ITM Cup hotty of the week

Joe Wheeler!

age:  25

position:  lock

teams:  Tasman, Highlanders & Maori All Blacks

ITM Cup hotty of the week

Ronald Raaymakers!

age:  23

position:  lock and flanker

teams:  Counties Manukau & Blues

ITM Cup hotty of the week

Cory Jane!

age:  30

position:  outside back

teams:  Wellington, Hurricanes & All Blacks

ITM Cup hotty of the week

Tony Lamborn!

age:  22

position:  flanker

teams:  Hawke's Bay

ITM Cup hotty of the week

Jarrad Hoeata!

age:  29

position:  lock, flanker, #8

teams:  Taranaki, Highlanders, Maori All Blacks

ITM Cup hotty of the week

Zac Guildford!

age:  24

position:  wing

teams:  Hawke's Bay, Crusaders, Maori All Blacks

ITM Cup hotty of the week

Ihaia West!

age:  21

position:  1st 5

teams:  Hawke's Bay & Maori All Blacks

ITM Cup hotty of the week

Frazier Climo!

age:  26

position:  wing

team:  Taranaki

The Ranfurly Shield explained

(also published on Pink Rugby)

The Ranfurly Shield.  The Shield.  The Log o’ Wood.   Whatever you want to call it, the Ranfurly Shield is a HUGE deal in provincial rugby in New Zealand.

You may have heard of it, or this could be your first time hearing about it.  If you are in the latter group, chances are you are NOT a New Zealander, so I encourage you to read on and learn all about this magical wooden, shield shaped token of rugby awesomeness.

Waikato with the Ranfurly Shield

The Ranfurly Shield dates back to 1904 (making it 109 years old), and it was gifted to the NZRFU by the Governor of New Zealand – the Earl of Ranfurly – hence the name.  The Ranfurly Shield is based on a challenge system with the union who holds the Shield at the start of the season, facing a series of seven challenges during the ITM Cup/Heartland Championship season.  Each home game that the union holding the Shield (at the start of the season) has, is a Shield challenge – and each of those games is a winner takes all affair – the winner of course, taking the Shield.  The Ranfurly Shield can NOT be contested during the semi-finals or final.

Sounds confusing, kind of is, but here is the way things stand at the moment.

Waikato currently hold the Shield, after taking it off Taranaki in 2012
(In the ITM Cup pre-season, Waikato did have two shield defenses against Heartland Championship teams, but realistically, those games are never going to end any way but the Shield holder defending the shield by a huge margin, still it’s a great honour for those Heartland Championship (3^rd division) teams)
Considering Waikato don’t lose any of them, the following games will be Ranfurly Shield defences:

• 17 August – vs Northland
• 23 August  – vs Otago
• 14 September – vs Auckland
• 27 September – vs Wellington
• 12 October – vs Taranaki

HOWEVER, lets just say Northland beat Waikato on 17 August, Northland would become the Shield holders and their remaining home games would be Ranfurly Shield defenses:

• 24 August – vs Southland
• 8 September – vs Wellington
• 26 September – vs Tasman
• 9 October – vs Otago

Technically the Ranfurly Shield could be held by 6 teams in one season (8 if you include the pre-season games against Heartland Championship teams), but most seasons it only changes hands once, if at all.

Because I love statistics (when they relate to rugby anyway), here are some Ranfurly Shielstistics

Top 5 unions who held and defended the mighty Log o’ Wood?

• #1 – Auckland, held 16 times & 148 defenses
• #2 – Canterbury, held 14 times & 129 defenses
• #3 – Wellington, held 10 times & 40 defenses
• #4 – Waikato, held 9 times & 48 defenses
• #5 – Southland, held 7 times & 22 defenses

Last 5 unions to hold the Shield

• 22 October 2009 – Southland (won off Canterbury)
• 9 October 2010 – Canterbury
• 23 July 2011 – Southland
• 24 August 2011 – Taranaki
• 3 October 2012 – Waikato

Longest time in possession of the Shield

• Auckland, (8y4d) 14^th September 1985–18^th  September 1993

Shortest time in possession of the Shield

• Waikato, (8 days) 24^th August 2007-1^st September 2007

(won off North Harbour, lost to Canterbury)

First ever union to hold the Shield

• Wellington, 6^th August 1904-26^th August 1905

(lost to Auckland afer 4 defenses)

And finally, in the all important battle between the North Island and South Island…

• North Island – 11 unions from the North have won the Shield
• South Island – 5 unions from the South have won the Shield

There you have it.  Now when you hear mention of the Ranfurly Shield, you will know precisely what the commentators/reporters/men at the pub are talking about, and perhaps you can even impress them with your knowledge of Shieltistics!

The ITM Cup explained

(also published on Pink Rugby)

While rugby fans in Australia are having to make do with the Rugby Championship or watching previously recorded games, New Zealand rugby fans are lucky enough to have two months of provincial rugby to watch, in the form of the ITM Cup.  Formerly called the NPC (National Provincial Championship), the ITM Cup is – as the original name suggests – New Zealand’s provincial rugby championship.  Some believe it is playing in the ITM Cup that gives New Zealand rugby players that extra bit of experience that seems to make them dominate on the rugby field.
So, you may find yourself asking, how does the ITM Cup work?  It only takes a one year course at your closest university to understand all the ins and outs of the ITM Cup, but to make it a little easier for all of you, I shall sum it up and save you all the effort.
Here goes…

• The ITM Cup consists of TWO professional divisions, each consisting of seven teams.  The Premiership is the top division, with the Championship being the second division
• For those who don’t make the All Blacks, the ITM Cup is what Super Rugby players do after the SuperXV is over for the season.  It also provides those players a chance to impress the All Blacks coaches, ahead of the traditional All Blacks end of year tour to Europe
• All teams play all other teams in their division, and to make things a little more confusing each team also plays four of the teams from the other division, for a total of NINE games each.

Canterbury celebrating after their 2012 win

The teams in the Premiership division for 2013 are:

• Canterbury
• Auckland
• Wellington
• Taranaki
• Waikato
• Bay of Plenty
• Counties-Manukau

The teams in the Championship division for 2013 are:

• Hawke’s Bay
• Otago
• Tasman
• Southland
• Northland
• Manawatu
• North Harbour

At the end of the regular season are the semi-finals and final.
In the semi-finals:

• the top four teams from the Premiership play against each other (1^st v 4^th, 2^nd v 3^rd)
• the top four teams from the Championship play against each other (again 1^st v 4^th, 2^nd v 3^rd)

In the finals:

• the winners of each of the Premiership semi-finals play each other
• the winners of each of the Championship semi-finals play each other

After the finals:

• the team who finishes LAST in the Premiership division is automatically relegated to the Championship division for the next years ITM Cup
• the team who WINS the Championship final is automatically promoted to the Premiership division for the next years ITM Cup

Increasingly, Australian players are being permitted to cross the Tasman and play in the ITM Cup.  Most have familial connections to New Zealand.
Some Australian Super Rugby franchise players & ex players taking part in the 2013 ITM Cup are:

• Ged Robinson (Rebels – Hawke’s Bay, staying in NZ for 2014)
• Paul Alo-Emile (Rebels – Waikato)
• Nic Stirzaker (Rebels – Manawatu)
• Alby Mathewson (Force – Hawke’s Bay)
• Mark Swanepoel (Brumbies – Tasman)
• Mick Snowden (Force – Waikato)
• Kimami Sitauti (Rebels – Bay of Plenty)
• Robbie Abel (Brumbies – Northland)
• Ben Seymour (formerly of the Force -  Northland)
• Tom Murday (Reds – Northland)
• Beau Robinson (Reds – Bay of Plenty)

There is also a third (amateur) division competition which is played at the same time as the ITM Cup, called the Heartland Championship.  The Heartland Championship is made up of smaller regional teams, who act as feeder teams for the larger (professional) provincial teams.

• The Heartland Championship teams play 8 games, so the teams don’t play every team

The teams in the Heartland Championship in 2013 are:

• Buller
• East Coast
• Horowhenua-Kapiti
• King Country
• Mid Canterbury
• North Otago
• Poverty Bay
• South Canterbury
• Thames Valley
• Wairarapa Bush
• Wanganui
• West Coast

The Heartland Championship teams play for two different cups

• the Meads Cup (named after ex-All Black, Colin Meads)
• the Lochore Cup (named after ex-All Black, Brian Lochore)

After week 8 the teams who are 1^st – 4^th  on the ladder, play off for the Meads Cup, and the teams who are 5^th – 8^th play off for the Lochore Cup.  As with the ITM Cup semi-finals, in the Heartland Championship semi-finals for each cup 1^st plays 4^th, 2^nd plays 3^rd and the winner of each game plays against the other winning team, in the final.
Unlike the ITM Cup structure, there is no promotion/relegation in the Heartland Championship.
So there you have it.  The ITM Cup & Heartland Championship, in a nutshell!  Perhaps next time I can try and explain the Ranfurly Shield…

First I become one-eyed... Now I'm supporting an AUSTRALIAN team???

It is fair to say that I no longer know myself.
Well.  I actually know myself very well, BUT if you compare 2011 Emma to 2013 Emma, you will notice two very disturbing facts.

Firstly, I have transitioned from being a staunch Highlanders supporter & staunch disliker of the Crusaders, to a HUGE Crusaders fan, who giggles a little at how badly the Highlanders are doing in the 2013 Super Rugby season.

It's hard to NOT love those Crusaders boys....

The Crusaders thing though - I think it's understandable - it is LOVE afterall, which made me switch allegiances so drastically.  I fell in love with a woman who supports the Crusaders, and slowly but surely her influence had an impact on me, and before  long I was screaming FOR the Crusaders, rather than AGAINST the Crusaders.  I was part of the same one-eyed crowd at games, that I had so often insulted and rolled my eyes at, when I was a firm gold & blue supporter.  In what must have been a hard ask for my father, he accepted that I now cheered for the other side, and has continued to love me, as if something terribly shocking hasn't happened.

THE reason I switched Super Rugby franchise allegiances

But.

There is no way I can tell him about my new rugby love.  My other favourite team.  The other colours I would wear with pride (... if they were sold over here...).  I fear it would be too much for him to handle.

I, Emma, hereby declare that I.... I... Um...

I support the Melbourne Rebels.  Proudly.

Yes.  You heard it here folks. I am now paritcularly fond of an AUSTRALIAN rugby team.

I can't explain how it happened, or why it happened, or even when it happened.  One day I was a Crusaders-only supporter, and the next day I was suddenly a Crusaders-and-Rebels supporter.  Some may argue that it's not that much of a stretch for a New Zealander to support the Rebels, because a lot of the team ARE from New Zealand.  BUT.  At the end of the day, the Rebels are an AUSTRALIAN team.  Australian.  From Australia.  You know.  New Zealand's rugby nemesis.

The Kiwi connection is impossible to ignore

So, why do I seem to love them so?

• Did you see all the man love moments when they beat the Waratahs???  It was spectacular, tear

  

  Also VERY hard to ignore is this rather delicious man
  ex Wellington Lions player, Jason Woodward...

  inducing stuff!
• The excitement and pride they displayed upon beating the Stormers & clocking up their first win against a South African team... again, it was excellent.
• They seem to have an awesome team culture.
• My favourite Australian players seem to play for the Rebels... Hugh Pyle.  Laurie Weeks.  Scott Higginbotham.  Lachie Mitchell.  Rory Sidey.  Mitch Inman.  Luke Jones.
• And then, there ARE all those Kiwi boys on the team... James King, Cooper Vuna, Ged Robinson, Scott Fuglistaller.
• Jason Woodward (also qualifies in the 'and then, there ARE all those Kiwi boys on the team' category, but I felt he deserved his own category).  The man is HOT.

Man love. 
It's a beautiful thing.

It's even at the stage we are planning to go to Melbourne so we can see a Rebels game in person.  Sadly it probably works out just as cheap flying to Melbourne for a game, as it would flying within New Zealand.

So there you have it.  I'm a COMPLETE rugby traitor...