The Case for the Cuppy Countdown 2011

Nearly there.

So, Rugby World Cup 2011.

It has been an unbelievably long time coming, and my cupboards are now overflowing with Powerade, Rexona Antipersperant, Up and Go and Daikin heatpumps - well, they would be if I didn't more or less record everything and just skip through the ads.  I have tickets for a grand total of none of the games, though I may watch one or two somewhere along the line.  I do drink a heck of a lot of Coca Cola though.

All the jingoistic playing on patriotism around the Rugby World Cup 2011 has made me feel rather anti, so on my crusade, I decided to look through the supporters jerseys that the various supermarkets had stocked to find a cocky French top.  After the first supermarket failed to have one, I thought perhaps it had sold out.  By about the third unsuccessful attempt, I was suspecting conspiracy. Now, I reckon it is one.  Unless the French team is just ridiculously popular, which may be the case.

I have never really considered buying an All Black one, though it pays to look like a player to wear them these days:

So far, everything seems to be running as expected:

• This event will run at a loss, and the New Zealand taxpayer will pick up the bill.  The size of the loss will be unknown until the loss is all lost, but it may be exponentially more than the first dart that hit the cost board indicated, if not logarithmically.
• The major sponsors have proved to be complete draculian (saw that on a blog once, and thought it was such an apt term) d!cks, adidas foremost amongst them for the whole rugby jersey debacle (though apparently it hasn't stop people buying the jersey, just other labelled items)  The completely-unfunny-even-in-the-abstract Telecom celibacy campaign met a premature death, and now, as reported by other bloggers, unsanctioned sponsorship is being surgically removed from strategic points. 
• Sonny Bill Williams has shown that his loyalty is to his family and their well being, meaning it is to his wallet and his fighting and what he wants to do, meaning it is not to New Zealand rugby.  Who would have guessed that donning the All Black jersey and playing in a World Cup was just a stepping stone to other things?  Well, EVERYBODY!  Well, obviously not everybody, judging by the fan reaction.  But honestly...

 The only real unknown is who will win the actual competition.  A few game-losing jitters over the last few weeks on the part of the All Blacks has caused a bit of concern, but they are still the odds-on favourites.

For my part... well, truth be told, part of me wants to say I don't want them to win (go France!), part of me want them to be victorious, while over those parts is a layer of not really caring.  I may have to go into all those conflicted opinions in a later blog, once the competition is underway.

But I do have to ask: is Rugby going to be the winner on the day?  With all the shinanegans and goings on, the overwhelming advertising and the distancing of the team from the people, is Rugby actually going to be better viewed than it was beforehand?  I suppose that will depend on who wins or not.

Verdict: It's almost here, which means the anticipation is almost over, and soon, so will all the hype.  Blessings all around, no matter what you think of the rugby.  8 days out of a week and a bit to go.