Super Super 14 rugby

---

Oh dear oh dear oh dear...starting at 10 a.m. from Queenstown to watch rugby in Invercargill that didn't start until 7:30 p.m....Fair enough it is an approximately 2-hour drive from Queenie to Invers, but that still left 7 1/2 hours in which to do what normally accompanies all-day rugby experiences. Yes, you've guessed it! Fish and chips in Bluff (NZ's most southerly mainland town) followed by face- (or other bodily-part) painting and cape-wearing at Old Marist RFC next to the stadium before actually attending the game itself.

True, I may have consumed one or more alcoholic drinks throughout the day, most likely since I was persuaded to have "Highlanders" (NZ team, for those not familiar with Super 14) written on my highly trained stomach (highly trained now in pie-eating, salad-dodging and Speights/Monteith-drinking) and "Cats" (South African team) written across my chest, which, as far as I know, is not highly trained in anything. This was just in addition to the highly fetching tartan motif I sported across my face in traditional Scottish blue and yellow, in a tribute to the original settlers of the area.

The "Cats" and "Highlanders" slogans got an airing at half time when a Sky Sports cameraman was doing shots of the crowd and I inadvertantly managed to flash my best Marks and Spencer apparel, along with aforementioned rugby team names, so that they appeared on the large screen in the ground. Unfortunately I do not have photographic evidence of this event, so you shall just have to imagine it. If however, anyone recorded the Highlanders v Cats game (I do believe it was available to watch on Sky Sports 1), I would be very interested to watch it (not least so I can see what happened during the game). As some of you know, and have personally experienced, I am not adverse to revealing items of clothing/parts of body at rugby matches, so please don't be shocked. My years at Cardiff Uni prepared me well for last Saturday's match.

I am actually surprised at how clear some of my photos have come out - believe me, it was more luck than judgement.

Oh, and the Highlanders won. 16-14.

---