Waiting For The Rugby

This is a really big weekend for rugby, with the World Cup quarter-finals being played in New Zealand. You probably have to be into rugby to fully comprehend why this is the biggest weekend for the sport for the next four years — but trust me, it is.

It will certainly be another four years at least before we see four such important games over two days with well-matched and powerful international teams, and where New Zealand’s romp over Argentina is the only certain result of the four.

The Northern hemisphere goes first (on Friday night here in Vancouver): Ireland takes on Wales, and then England face France. My guess is that Wales and England will win out.  The Southern hemisphere play their games on Saturday night, with South Africa versus Australia followed by New Zealand against Argentina.  My prediction is that South Africa and New Zealand will be the winners.

If you’ve never seen top-quality rugby, these are four games that should turn you on.  These guys are hard, fast and really good!

The Rugby World Cup

The Opening Ceremony of the Rugby World Cup was the best such ceremony I have ever witnessed.  It is well worth watching.

Just brilliant.  It is an object lesson in how to incorporate at the deepest level the essence of local ethnicity and its connection to the world through the sport.

The games have been equally interesting so far.  In the opener, the Tongans — boasting a hakka to challenge that of the All Blacks themselves — fought well in a losing cause.  Fiji and Namibia showed some creative open play in a high-scoring affair, and both Scotland and England had to come back from deficits as favourites in their first matches.  Tonight I’m looking forward to the Wales clash against South Africa.