Touch, Pause, Engage! RWC 2011

Most people grow up in a sports orientated family. Football, cricket, baseball. Children continue their support of a family favoured team when their older, playing the sport or going to matches with a member of family sharing great sporting moments, celebrating ,or commiserating, together. For me, the sport is rugby. My Dad has always watched the sport and also grew up playing it, as well as my Mum. So, it was hard not to try rugby out which I did when I was 15 and from which I continued to play at both my home club and university,up until this year. I don't look like the 'typical' rugby player, but women's rugby has actually grown in popularity over the past couple of years. Therefore, in my opinion, this means that the stereotypical image of female rugby player is getting more and more vague as women of different shapes and sizes give the sport a try. Every time I've told someone that I've played the sport, they are always surprised but then there is always a 'good for you' element in their exclamation. Women in sport is something that I applaud, particularly in rugby that is predominantly known as a 'man's game'. For me, I'd swap 'high heels and make up' for a pair of rugby boots and mud any day.

But it's not just the fact that I've played rugby that interests me in the sport. The drama and spectacle surrounding rugby competitions makes it an intriguing game to watch. I've been there on the pitch with the feeling of being so nervous you feel sick and your heart pounding so hard in your chest as you face your opposition waiting for the referee to blow the whistle. It feels like time slows, a Wild West movie style moment where you stand staring your opposite player down frozen to the floor. But there's such a burst of adrenaline when you start playing you forget all about your nerves and it feels great being part of a team and working hard together to win a game. There's obviously injuries involved in rugby, I've had my fair share! A broken nose, a now permanent bulgy finger (thanks to my ignorance of not listening to my cousins advice of seeing a doctor as she thought it was broken), and I've had so many stud marks and bruises of spectacular colours from being tackled or hit by a flying studded boot. But that's just part of it. Watching a game gives you a similar kind of feeling to being one of the players. You feel part of it all the way. The power and endurance the players go through on the pitch keeps you on the edge of your seat, as you will your team to push on to keep up the effort and get the ball over the try line (which usually consists of holding onto the edge of the couch and screaming at the TV. We've all been there whatever sport we watch!)

So it was just my luck that my trip to New Zealand conicided with the country playing host to the biggest of Rugby competitions; Rugby World Cup 2011. Rugby in New Zealand is what football is to the UK. It's the main sport of the nation, with the All Blacks being the country's beloved team. New Zealand is one very much to preserving their traditions, in particular the Maori culture displayed in the Haka , the Maori war dance the All Blacks perform before each of their games. You can feel a sense of pride amongst the rugby fans before the match begins just from this one part of showmanship. Before the RWC had even begun, there were flash dance Hakas cropping up in the cities of NZ in the anticipation to the competition beginning. The All Blacks won their first match against Tonga, with the knowledge that New Zealand is backing them 100 per cent. You can't walk down a street without seeing an All Black flag in a window or on a car.

                       Above: Flash Haka, Below: All Blacks show they're not to be messed with



My aunt, cousin and I managed to go to a Rugby World Cup match at the closest stadium to where I'm staying; North Harbour. Despite being an England supporter, I went to go and watch Australia Vs Italy because being part of the atmosphere is so exciting and definitely not one to miss. I was seated amongst a sea of golds and blues, face painted in the Australian flag supporting the team from 'across the ditch' as the Kiwis say.

North Harbour Stadium, NZ

My cousin Bex and I facially showing our support to the Australian Wallabies

At half time, the score was 6-6 a result of seemingly lacklustered game play from both sides. Australia are amongst the the favourites, England, South Africa and France,  to win the World cup, but it seems to me that all the favourites are off to a shaky start as one of my friends calls it.Underdog teams in the likes of Romania and Japan have even shown that they are not ones to be underestimated as seen in the Romania's game against Scotland who only upped the ante in the last 10 minutes of the second half. Japan's efforts were also definitely not to be sniffed at. This was similar in England's disappointing show, confusingly wearing an all black kit and then only going on to win against Argentina by 13 points to 9 with unconvincing effort. The New Zealand teams style of play obviously didn't rub off from their poorly made black kit.

Australia eventually woke up and went on to win against Italy, much to my delight, winning 32-6 by scoring 4 tries in the second half. But what I love about attending rugby matches is the fact you get to sit with fans of the opposition and there are no animosity or feelings of tension. Everyone is there to watch their team play and to enjoy the atmosphere. While I was at the match there were at least 5 Mexican waves, and each side sang their teams songs. It's pretty comical how the crowd becomes this automatic in-sync sound machine, sharing the cringes at a hard tackle (oooohhhh! That's gotta hurt..) or acknowledging good game play even if it was from the other side (yeah, ok, that was a pretty good try).

Italy fans

Australia and Italy

 The World Cup ends on the 23rd of October, and who knows who will be in the final judging by the fight back from the underdogs. I'm backing England all the way, but I'll still enjoy watching great play from other teams who also deserve to go on and win the cup.

Me next to the Cup!