That is, the Super competition, the French tour of NZ and the Lions visit to Australia. As a Wellingtonian I follow the Hurricanes. Say no more. Mrs AB is from Hamilton, so supports the Chiefs, last year's champions and looking good again this year. And now living in Queensland, we both have an interest in the Reds. The All Blacks will, of course, wallop the Frogs, but the Lions tour will be fascinating. Hoping the Wallabies can win.
I come from the North of England, so unlike the New Zealanders, the Scots, the Welsh, the Irish and the denizens of the South of England - but just like the Aussies - I'm a Rugby League man rather than a Rugby Union man. Rugby League is PROPER rugby. Only posh big girls' blouses play that stop-start-stop-start Rugby Union. Give me Salford City Reds, Huddersfield Giants, Wigan Warriors, Wakefield Trinity Wildcats, Leeds Rhinos and even London Broncos over Gloucester, Leicester, Worcester, Leinster, Connaught, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Toulouse, Toulon and Racing Metro any day of the week. And, of course, Rugby Union only became professional in 1995 and it didn't even have a World Cup until 1987. The Rugby League World Cup is being hosted by England and Wales his year. Great Britain has won the Rugby League World Cup three times (1954, 1960 and 1972) and has appeared in four other Finals. England (England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland now compete separately) has also lost in two Finals (1975 and 1995). Rugby League: the most brutally exciting game ever devised by humankind. Big in Northern England and Australia, where men are tougher. Has more continuous gameplay even than football. Rugby Union: a game played by cissy, posh pretty boys which has almost as many stoppages as Gridiron. Big in Scotland, Wales, Ireland, Southern England, France, Italy and New Zealand.
It's funny that rugby is an upper class game in England and Australia, but in NZ it is a game for everyone. I enjoy league, but am frustrated by the lack of constant competition for possession. If I had my way I'd do away with scrums, which are just a farce, remove the law regarding ripping the ball away in the tackle, and make the scoring side kick off. In rugby I would change the dropout from the 22 to under the posts and make the offside line 10m back, as in league.
Much prefer league, esp as played in NRL and Sevens. Union can get a bit tedious. The sad part is, it's too bad we Yanks wimp out when it comes to this fine sport!
