A week after the RUGBY WORLD CUP; NEW ZEALAND !

   

We were on the plane between Sydney and Auckland during the final match between France and New Zealand (The All Blacks), on our return from a trip to our homeland, South Africa...              

 
     

It was a nail biting few hours with some score updates from the pilot at intervals. Needless to say by the time we heard that New Zealand had won; only twenty minutes before landing, I was close to ill from the tension. I was fearing the worst when the pilot's commentary stopped on 9-8... for what seemed like an eternity. My worst fears were the depression that the country would experience if they lost to France, as the teams, most anticipated to be a threat to New Zealand were South Africa and Australia; not France ! Being on an Oz plane didn't help, as there wasn't exactly champagne on offer when NZ won. We were incredibly lucky though, to coincidentally witness the celebratory fireworks display from the air.
    I think that New Zealand sighed with huge relief, more than felt a feeling of victorious jubilation, winning by a mere margin. It was tough with some of the best players like Dan Carter out of the World Cup due to an injury... But the Boys shone through with amazing courage and dignity... And a win's a win. . . and now a week later, there are All Black and New Zealand flags flying all over the city, from motor cars and bridges, out of office windows, on homes and in trees.  Richie McCaw, the captain, is a National Hero and all in all 'We love our Boys' ! Parades were held in Auckland and Wellington and the Ellis Webb trophy proudly displayed to the 1000s who came out into the streets to cheer the team... And a baby born that week has been called Ellis Webb ! 


   

        

     
My hope is that it has put our wonderful small country of a mere 4 and a half million people fair and square on the wold map and that tourism will flourish. It's what we needed to boost our morale after the Christchurch earthquakes, too. NZ is a breathtakingly beautiful country and the Kiwis and many immigrants that reside here would be proud as punch to WELCOME YOU !