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Published: November 13th 2011
On the night of 23 October 2011, All Black captain Richie McCaw held aloft yet another trophy that the All Blacks had just secured. But this time was different. The lifting of the Webb Ellis Cup by an All Black captain was something the nation had been waiting 24 long years to see for a second time.
To understand what this moment meant to All Blacks fans, consider the following the sport has in New Zealand, and the idol status those men in black hold. Rugby is what collectively Kiwis get most passionate about. In the capital’s cathedral hangs a painting of the artist’s depiction of God - dressed as an All Black. Should rugby be listed as an option for the Religion question in the country’s next 5 yearly census, there’s a pretty good chance it would top the results list. Polls taken regarding whether or not New Zealand should change its flag invariably see the silver fern on a black background as one of the alternate submissions.
If Kiwis are so passionate about rugby, why is it then that fans from other countries often outdid us in fan-provided street entertainment? (See
Rugby World Cup 2011: More Colour, Passion and Opportunity for examples from French and
South African fans). This is something that on a couple of occasions throughout the tournament I did wish were different. A reason perhaps why so much importance is placed on the performance of the haka before test matches - passion channelled through a portal of 15 black jerseys?
Inspiration for the All Blacks came not only from the often referred to ‘stadium of four million’. It came also from tragedy - the Christchurch earthquakes and Pike River mine disaster. 2011 had not been a good year.
Throughout the Rugby World Cup the sports section of the daily national newspaper was surrounded by an extra eight page paper “Rugby Herald - the paper they read in Heaven”. On the morning following the RWC final, it read “Rugby Herald - Heaven, we’re in Heaven”.
No surprises to see the ABs at the top of Pool A after the initial stage of competition. The closest result had been the 20 point victory over France, a grudge match of sorts in which they went some way to removing the blot of that 2007 result.
Yet there was the knowledge that even after the semi-final win against Australia (talked up by
many as being the true final), the job was not quite finished. Lurking in the background was the fact that there was still one more to get through before we could really celebrate.
Psychiatrists had been consulted and were quoted in the Rugby Herald as to how best to get through the week leading up to the final. “Enjoy the moment, but remember the job is not yet done.”
Confidence was there in plenty for one Irish bookmaker, so sure that the ABs would win the final that he paid out 650,000 euros four days ahead of the game.
When a wheel fell off this so far unstoppable AB machine, courtesy of a torn thus-far-unheard-of- abductor-tendon belonging to star first five eight Dan Carter, the country collectively missed a few heartbeats. Enter understudy Colin Slade. Yet neither was Dan’s replacement to make the starting fifteen. Was someone out there stabbing all their needles into an All Blacks voodoo doll?
A sense of destiny being so close to fulfilment, the prize being tantalisingly within reach. Waiting until game day was almost too much for the Eden Park crowd at the bronze final between Australia and Wales, many
of them launching into “All Blacks…..All Blacks….” chants in the last quarter.
Come Sunday 23 October, previous victories in the tournament counted for nothing. This was it. There was a weird mix of nerves - a firm belief that after 24 years of pain, it just had to be - that this was destiny, our time. Never before has the NZ national anthem been sung with such passion. No longer was there a difference in volume between the Maori and English versions. This was every Kiwi fan standing to play their part, a final battle cry before the charge.
I’ll admit, I’ve never felt sick watching a game of rugby before .
With fans’ nerves already stretched far enough to go ten times round the giant rugby ball, the third choice for goal kicking duties fell to the ground, clutching his you-guessed-it region. An unlikely hero came in the form of Stephen Donald, playing his first rugby for nearly two months, after having had his whitebaiting trip interrupted so that he could come squeeze into a bit-too-small black jersey, and save the hopes of the nation.
I yelled, screamed, stressed and bit fingernails throughout. A single
try was not going to take the nation any closer to feeling comfortable. If any opponent was capable of bringing poor form to the game, then putting on a world class performance it was Les Blues.
After 80 minutes of play, and the longest final 10 minutes imaginable, the words “and he’s offside” never sounded so sweet. Literally seconds later the ball had been kicked out of the field of play, the game saved, and the 24 year agony was over. The stadium of four million erupted with joy.
Even the ground around Eden Park shook that night. A seismometer which had been buried 25 metres below Eden Park was “sensitive enough to pick up the ground movement caused by 60,000 screaming fans”.. …”But the loudest cheer of all was scientifically proven to be when All Black captain Richie McCaw received the Webb Ellis Cup and raised it in the air in triumph.” (NZ Herald)
This was the first time McCaw had laid a finger on it at all - believing that unless you’ve won it, you haven’t earned the right to touch it. Along with the battle scarred and limping captain came the rest of the
weary players, followed by the walking wounded - even if it meant hobbling up to the victory dias on crutches.
The following day more than 100,000 fans turned up to party…….
This is the last of my three entries on the tournament - I’ve emerged from the bubble, and am no longer juggling Rugby World Cup duties with the day job. Many thanks to all the wonderful people I’ve met and worked with along the way. Tempting as it was to list the moment the ABs won the World Cup final as the first video, they’re in chronological order. So humour this very proud Kiwi - turn your speaker volume up, then wander and replay your way down the home straight of an All Black journey, make that the nation’s journey, to rugby heaven. Watch to the finish for your place in the parade - the parade which celebrates the end of 24 years in world cup wilderness.
There are few countries on Earth whose culture and identity is intertwined so tightly than the Kiwis are with rugby union…... It is part of who they are, part of the fabric that links the nation together. It is their elixir. (- Sports writer Ross Hudson - England)
Rugby World Cup 2011: Colour, Passion and Opportunity Rugby World Cup 2011: More Colour, Passion and Opportunity (Scroll down for comments and more photos)
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aspiringnomad
Jason
Brings back memories!
Although I'll have to offer an outsiders view on the build up and aftermath if I ever get round to it circa 2013!