NzAtAGlance

When somebody mentions New Zealand rugby players, you immediately think of the New Zealand All Blacks. Which is understandable, because they are probably the most popular team in the world. But New Zealand rugby players are not just the All Blacks. They consist of a huge number of people, male and female.

It’s every little boys dream in New Zealand to become an All Black. I remember getting woken up at all hours of the morning to be  told that the All Blacks are on. So you’d get out of bed and fight for the most room in front of the heater, and wait for the jug to boil so you could have a cup of milo. By now you’re wide awake, and watching the All Blacks haka. Even though you’re only 8 or 9 years old there is still a sense of pride in you. After the All Blacks kick some butt, you go back to bed. When you wake up in the morning you and your mates get together and try all the moves that the ABs used the night before.

When you get to high school in New Zealand, rugby becomes pretty important. You look up to the guys in the first 15 (the #1 team in the school), and can only hope that you’ll make it there one day. We used to take the afternoon off school to watch the first 15 play the important games, even some against Australian,  or European teams. If you’re lucky enough to make it into the first 15 you get to experiance playing in front of the school, which is a pretty cool feeling.

When you leave school you normally go and play for a local club. Usually one that your dad played for, or your uncle or your mates dad, or whoever. Just be sure not to play for a club that is not in your family tree. Small town rivalry is great. The local round is always fun, because you can smash your mates up on the field, then have a beer with them later.  I bet that more than 90% of towns in New Zealand have a rugby club. In the footy season you’ll find a large number of people at the field supporting their team. Usually with a few beers.

Club rugby is usually the end of the road for most New Zealand rugby players. Mainly because of family and career commitments. Only the select few get to pursue the goal of every young man in New Zealand, to become an All Black. But don’t worry, because the rest of us us are always here to criticize the selected players and the people who selected them. Yep, and we love every minute of it.