I, probably like many other New Zealanders today, dipped into the Weekend Herald and read the article on NZ being a no-win nation (click on the Blog heading above - the word Losers).
Whether you believe this hypothesis to be accurate, or wildly incorrect, the bizarre logic around which this particular article was based floored me. A large chunk of the writers' case was centered around our national rugby team.
The All Blacks are, apparently, "the country's global ambassador embodying all the values New Zealanders hold dear."
Really?
I'm tempted to ask how a team playing a regional fringe sport, popular in a few island nations and a couple of small European pockets, can be considered global ambassadors. Global means the whole world. You know, the planet Earth, made up of large continents and containing over seven billion people.
As far as embodying all the values New Zealanders hold dear...? Hmmm. Monosyllabic grunters, who can't execute the basic skills they're paid to execute. People who need other people to do all their thinking for them. Playground bullys who go to pieces when opponents with even the smallest grain of intelligence present them with a situation that takes them outside their comfort zone. And that's just the backroom staff...
Now, I do realise that many Kiwis actually believe some of this rugby myth stuff to be true. It's the mentality that says, "if it's important to me, then it's important to everyone." Their perception is their reality. And rugby is important to some Kiwis, although quite obviously far fewer of us than in the past, so I can even understand the creation of this perception.
But please, no-one (and I mean this from a global perspective) really cares about rugby and they certainly don't care about our rugby. I'm so embarrassed for my many fellow countrymen who suffer from the delusion that rugby matters. They're all infants, still kicking around in their sheltered, insular little primary school sandbox. In fact, I'm embarrased for my country, or would be if anyone actually noticed this cringeworthy state of affairs.
Rugby is what it is. A sport that is important to the heritage of our young country. It has helped us find our feet as we stretched our legs and took those first baby steps of adolescence beyond our borders. But now it's time to grow up and make our way in the world like a real live adult.
This world is full of far more interesting, fulfilling and inspiring things than rugby. You'll appreciate that if you only open your eyes. Our country has a population that is more diverse than ever, and becoming even more so by the day. Let's embrace that and consign rugby to our past - where it belongs.
Sunday, August 9, 2009
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Rugby fan, where are you? Or do you agree with everything I said?
ReplyDeleteThis is one of the more ridiculous things I've read on the internet lately. Perhaps its true that rugby is not a truly global sport, but its quite a lot bigger than you are willing to admit - its massive in Europe, not just a couple of small European pockets, and Japan is both rugby mad and one of the most populous countries in the world.
ReplyDeleteYes, the all blacks are playing shit at the moment and yes watching rugby can be boring at times. However, its a great sport and it deserves its place alongside all other sports including football (which can be horrendously boring to watch).
Many kiwis are well aware that the world has a lot more than rugby to offer them - if you actually took some time you'd see just how many of us spend our hard-earned on learning about and enjoying these things both home and abroad.
I'm embarrassed for you and your cringe-worthy blog. I think its time you consigned it to history where it belongs.
STOP WHINING
DB (the author of this amazing blog) is what we young Kiwi's class as a "hater". The Urban Dictionary describes a hater as "A person that simply cannot be happy for another persons success. So rather than be happy, they make a point of exposing a flaw in that person." This blog goes far over the top to demonstrate this hater mentality quite accurately.
ReplyDeleteAnyways, enough of that. Let's look at the central statement from the NZ Herald article... "the country's global ambassador embodying all the values New Zealanders hold dear."
I agree that this statement is far-fetched but there is some truth to this. I would have no hesitation in saying that the All Blacks are world famous. When your average Kiwi travels overseas they are commonly prompted to perform the haka after telling someone they are from NZ. I was in Zambia (of all places) at the beginning of last year and I had a few people mention the All Blacks when I told them where I was from. They certainly wouldnt know who the allwhites are, or the black caps, or the black ferns etc etc. Sure the AB's dont embody all the values that NZ holds dear, but at least a couple - pride, equality.
It's quite funny, I was reading a recent article on stuff.co.nz mentioning that the popularity of rugby is indeed declining... "Only 60% of NZers are now interested in rugby." Sure it may be declining but 60% of our country is still a majority isnt it?
One more thing I would like to mention... I am not a rugby fan but I am not embarrassed that the All Blacks lose from time to time. The fact that they probably arent the best team in the world at present doesn't make me disgusted. It doesnt enrage me. I dont beat my wife because of it. I dont start calling them names like "Monosyllabic grunter" or "playground bully". The fact that they make maybe 10 or 12 mistakes in a game wont cause me to drink alone. The fact is, they are one of our best sports teams. They get a lot of publicity because they have big sponsorship deals, but the fact is, if NZ were decent at another team sport - say soccer - they would have good publicity too.
In finishing, I agree with DB's statement that the world is full of more interesting, fulfilling and inspiring things, but I struggle how that prompts someone to turn to "hater" tactics and namecalling.
P.S. Bring on South Africa 2010 FIFA world cup. I'll be there with my All Blacks scarf on.
Guys, guys. I think you should actually read what I actually wrote. There's no hate in my words. Massive frustration, sure. Incredulous bafflement, definitely. But hate? No.
ReplyDeleteIt's clear I'm not a rabid rugby fan. But that's not important. Or even relevant. My article was designed, rather, to highlight yet another lazy, simplistic and misleading piece of New Zealand journalism. The Herald article was symtomatic of this county's small town, island mentality. That mentality is waning, as Dean points, out, and we can all be so thankful for that. But it's not gone completely. Not yet, at least.
Thanks for the feedback. It's nice to know I actually have an audience!