Well, the end is nearly nigh. Thank goodness.
I don’t know of anyone who has not enjoyed a game of Rugby over the past few weeks. The energy and enthusiasm, especially when supporting the “smaller” teams, has been infectious. And the games themselves have seemed a bit less burdened by the weight of the expectations of normal tours, their frequency and variety perhaps releasing the intense pressure of normal matches. The waves of tourists through the cities has also added a festival atmosphere to things, as city councils do their best to entertain them outside of the rugby venues, with flow on effects that locals can appreciate.
There is no doubting that the Rugby World Cup is news. There is a bit less justification for it being serious news. And oftentimes, because this is New Zealand, this is the only news.
Some New Zealanders like to delude themselves that this is a sporty nation. It is – within a very limited definition. Because this is a rugby nation. Valerie Adams’ phenomenal performance in shot put? The Silver Ferns battles on the netball court? Any female sport basically, and any male sport that is not rugby? Worth perhaps a mention.
Not that there is anything necessarily wrong with a national sport, and intense interest therein. For me though, as someone with more just a passing interest in the game, minimal interest in wall to wall coverage of what is fairly non news (as the only real rugby-related news happens on the field), and no interest in Rugby players selling me things, I am just about past the point where I can find good humour in the rugby frenzy.
Must the Kiwi media (and lay Kiwis too) be complete d!cks when describing (i.e., insulting) competitors from across the ditch? Does the desire of any team to win a game change so much that we require daily media conferences to confirm their enthusiasm? How many times can the media use Sonny Bill Williams’ image in stories barely even tangentially related to rugby, and is there some magic 6-digit number of times that they must refer to his physique?
It is great to see the players mingling with their fans despite the pressure they must be under, and it is sweet to hear of young ladies bringing their heroes presents (though I would have thought anyone at this stage would be wary of plates of food).
A lot of New Zealanders have invested a lot, emotionally, in this event. It’s a feel good story, a way to lose oneself, after so much awfulness – earthquakes, financial meltdowns, increasing costs – that, for the most part, people have been more or less helpless to prevent or to cure. From that perspective, this is a fantastic time that has lifted the spirit of a nation, even if just for a little while.
But, yeah, I am ready to move on myself. I suppose I should be thankful this feeling did not come earlier, when there were many more matches to be played. Last week, I was barely able to watch the Air New Zealand safety video without reaching for a barf bag (and that was before the plane even moved), but outside of that, I have had no signs of rugby overload until the last day or so.
So yes, it is nearly done. And I am much the happier for it. Win or lose.
Verdict: It's been fun, but its time to move on. But will we? 15 players out of 15.
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