Rugby is a huge sport in New Zealand, with the famous All Blacks claiming NZ as their home turf. Ideally, it would have been amazing to see the All Blacks play and perform their infamous haka (traditional Maori dance), but they travel worldwide to play. And seeing as I don't know the first thing about rugby, I settled for a sweet 14 game between the Crusaders and Chiefs.
We had front row seats right behind the goal post, which was an interesting angle until they kicked the ball our direction. Since there were no nets, I had fears that I would be smacked in the face with a giant rugby ball. Talk about a souvenir! Luckily, that didn't happen, and we were able to watch the game without injury. I completely forgot to Google or Wikipedia Rugby 101 before we left, so it's safe to say I was somewhat clueless. Nevertheless, I was impressed with the intensity of the tackles sans pads or protection of any kind (that I could see). And I was partially convinced that the rugby ball was covered in butter; it seemed so slippery, causing the players to be all rollie-pollie after it. It was entertaining. The one noticeable difference was the lack of announcer during the game. The fact that I didn't know much about how the game was played in the first place made that especially difficult. And the crowd was relatively tame. Overall, it was a cool experience that I am glad to say that I had. Check out the photos!
The Crusaders practicing
The stadium
Before the Crusaders entered the stadium, these Crusaders on horseback came out
Practicing before the game while the dance team performed
Game play!
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