Rugby World Cup stories

13:48 Sep 21, 2011 81

The lovely folks at adidas have given me two jerseys to give away: a Los Pumas Argentinian jersey and an All Blacks jersey (yes, one of those expensive ones).

How do you win them? Tell us your best World Cup story in the comments below.

The best story involving people from overseas in New Zealand wins the Pumas jersey. The best story with only locals wins the All Blacks jersey. (Once you win we figure out sizes so don't worry about that)

I’ll draw them next week so hopefully you’ll have them before the quarterfinals kick off.

Thanks to adidas for these awesome prizes and good luck to Argentina and the All Blacks (though slightly more luck to the ABs).

81 responses to this post

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Kris V, 22:12 Sep 21, 2011

When I was a young lass of about 13, I cut out a picture of David Kirk from The Press & pinned it to my bedroom wall. He was holding the Webb Ellis trophy above his head after the Baby Black's triumphant campaign. Never in my wildest dreams did I think that here we'd all be - almost a quarter of a century later - still waiting for another man in black to hoist the cup aloft.
I kept that faded, yellowing newsprint photo on my wall for years, until it got kinda sad to look at. The picture may have long gone but the hope remains.
Silly, foolish me.
The other sad part about this RWC is that I would have been at every single Chch game... sure, I would have been working, but I would have been there. I'm still a bit gutted about that.
Go the All Blacks.
<sniff>

Shakeytown • Since Nov 2008 • 61 posts Report
Emma Hart, in reply to Kris V, 10:06 Sep 22, 2011

When I was a young lass of about 13, I cut out a picture of David Kirk from The Press & pinned it to my bedroom wall. He was holding the Webb Ellis trophy above his head after the Baby Black's triumphant campaign.
Kris, my story is completely different. I was fifteen. Far out. Kirk went on the aspirational portion of the wall above my desk, right next to the photo of the RX-7. Later on, I learned to dislike both the whine of a rotory engine, and right-wing economics.

Christchurch • Since Nov 2006 • 4651 posts Report
Joe Wylie, in reply to Emma Hart, 10:11 Sep 22, 2011

. . . right next to the photo of the RX-7. Later on, I learned to dislike both the whine of a rotory engine . . .
Not so much the engine sound as the assumption that if you drove one, you owned a massage parlour.

flat earth • Since Jan 2007 • 4593 posts Report
BenWilson, in reply to Emma Hart, 10:23 Sep 22, 2011

right next to the photo of the RX-7
They were great cars, when they worked.
ETA: Similar comment about the ABs. Great team, when they win.

Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report
Steve Barnes, 10:38 Sep 22, 2011

Trust National to use the RWC smokescreen to push through this Attack on Democracy.
We don't seem to have a thread on this yet. It makes a farce of breaking away from the Privy Council... "Don't like what the highest court in the land says? change the decision, under urgency"

Peria • Since Dec 2006 • 5521 posts Report
BenWilson, in reply to Steve Barnes, 11:12 Sep 22, 2011

I'm not sure it's an attack on democracy, but it sure is an attack on civil rights. Makes me wonder whether having dropped the Privy Council, it is more urgent than ever that NZ makes at least some moves toward a constitution. That's way more in need of changing than the bloody electoral system, which already seems to give carte blanch to the government on basically anything they want to do. It's always been sitting there as a dangerous omission in the NZ system.

Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report
Leopold, in reply to BenWilson, 12:00 Sep 22, 2011

But couldn't Parliament always ignore decisions of the old Privy Council? Agree that this development is very worrying, though. The whole Bor R could abolished overnight, if it suits any govt's agenda. The whole undefined number of crims running free (according to Mr Key) smells of the Reichstag Fire -
Not only Godwinning, but also OT with no mention of RWC - so sue me

Since Jan 2007 • 153 posts Report
BenWilson, in reply to Leopold, 12:06 Sep 22, 2011

But couldn't Parliament always ignore decisions of the old Privy Council?
I don't know from constitutional law.

Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report
Rich of Observationz, in reply to BenWilson, 12:14 Sep 22, 2011

Yes, by passing legislation that overturned the decision.
The NZ parliament can pass any law whatsoever (subject to a few grey areas around entrenchment).
(This is unlike the US and most European states, where legislation that contravenes the constitutional framework - US constitution, European law, ECHR - can be voided, either by the supreme courts or in the case of Europe by supranational courts).

Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report
Steve Barnes, 12:51 Sep 22, 2011

What, if any, safeguards were put in place when we dropped the Privy Council. Surely there were some, it seems totally wrong to me that a simple majority in Parliament is enough to overturn a Supreme Court ruling.
I, perhaps wrongly, thought that the Crown still had the upper hand and that the Crown was greater than Parliament and that the Governor General could ask the Supreme Court to revisit a decision and nothing more.
Even if I was totally wrong and misunderstand the position surely the retrospective part of this move is illegal in some way?.
If National ram this through then let's hope it is the last thing they do, ever.

Peria • Since Dec 2006 • 5521 posts Report
Rich of Observationz, 13:25 Sep 22, 2011

You might want to learn some constitutional law.
We are not an absolute monarchy. The "Crown" is simply a term for the government acting as a legal entity, which comes back to being an instrument of parliament. The monarch hasn't vetoed a Bill since Queen Anne. If a G-G did get stroppy, the PM could sack him with one fax.
The Supreme Court has pretty much the same powers as the Privy Council did - it was just a change of personnel and location.
Basically, it's elective dictatorship. We should (as the Irish did in 1937) get ourselves a written constitution that sets limits. But politicians are opposed to it, for a range of reasons.
for instance, part of me is quite pleased that, when we finally get a truly left-wing government, they'll be able to pass a law in all-stages urgency to confiscate all property over $900k, close down the right-wing press and defer any further elections until the revolutionary situation permits. Ok, the last one would arguably take two laws, one to strip out the entrenchment and the other to defer the election

Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report
Paul Williams, 13:55 Sep 22, 2011

I agree with Rich's explanation but my conviction around written constitutions is less certain. I think our problem is still the size of the Executive relative to the Parliament. if we changed electoral systems and or reduced the size of the Parliament, this would be made worse.
Rich, I'm unclear, do written constitutions typically prohibit retrospective legislation explicitly or rather does the prohibition result from other rights being stronger?
ETA: Kris, great story, thanks. My hero of that cup was Kirwan, he was an old boy of our school and visited often. Actually, he remains a real role model, a man of genuine substance and character.

Sydney • Since Nov 2006 • 2273 posts Report
Rich of Observationz, 14:08 Sep 22, 2011

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ex_post_facto_law
Whether this would apply in the current case is debatable. IANAL, you know, and I suspect you’d get multiple answers if you asked a few.
But also, rights against unlawful search and seizure are entrenched in the US constitution – alteration would require constitutional amendment – or persuading the Supreme Court into an alternate interpretation, which is probably easier.
Also, very few overseas jurisdictions practically allow a law to be passed in two weeks with only a simple majority in a unicameral parliament. Many of them also have other locks – CERA could never pass in the US, for instance: (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nondelegation_doctrine)

Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report
Kumara Republic, in reply to Leopold, 14:34 Sep 22, 2011

But couldn’t Parliament always ignore decisions of the old Privy Council?
Muldoon did it with the Western Samoa Citizenship Act 1982.

The southernmost capital … • Since Nov 2006 • 5446 posts Report
Leopold, in reply to Rich of Observationz, 14:40 Sep 22, 2011

Or even a return to a re-jigged form of legislative Council. Qld ("The Police State" of the 70's) is the only other Australasian govt to have a unicameral parliament - and the reign of Bjelke Joh illustrates the fun and games which can result

Since Jan 2007 • 153 posts Report
Mikaere Curtis, 14:46 Sep 22, 2011

In 1987 my father was principal of Hato Petera College on the North Shore. Although only a small school (circa 230 pupils), it had six rugby fields so was a natural choice for some of the smaller nations to choose for rugby practice.
Back in the day, you didn’t get hoards of fans descending on a practice session, and one day there were about four teams practicing. I can’t remember all of the teams, but one was definitely Romania (good to see them back down here, BTW). The principal’s house backed onto the lower fields, so we turned the couch around, opened the ranch slider, and watched them all practice. It was cool to be so close.
After the tournament, my brother was buying a bag at a bag shop in Queen St. A couple of members of the Pumas were in the shop and also in a quandary – they’d run out of money and needed to sell some gear. He bartered with one and purchased a team kit bag and an actual test jersey (signed by the erstwhile owner). Number 13 IIRC, and I think he still has it somewhere.

Tamaki Makaurau • Since Nov 2006 • 528 posts Report
Steve Barnes, in reply to Rich of Observationz, 15:03 Sep 22, 2011

You might want to learn some constitutional law.
Nah, that’s what Graeme Edgeler’s for. I’ll stick to Solar Power, Networked media and such ;-)
But I still think everybody, including non lawyers, should be looking hard at this, whether they understand or not. It’s amazing that te Herald can stir up more vitriol about sex education than an abuse of power on this scale.

Peria • Since Dec 2006 • 5521 posts Report
Rich of Observationz, 15:23 Sep 22, 2011

Sorry to snark, BTW. I just get a bit irritable when people persist in this romantic illusion that there's an old lady in a castle who can sort out our governments if they get too out of hand...

Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report
Kumara Republic, in reply to Leopold, 15:41 Sep 22, 2011

The whole undefined number of crims running free (according to Mr Key) smells of the Reichstag Fire -
More like the belief that Oceania will always be at war with Eastasia. If there can be Perpetual Wars, so too can there be Perpetual Crime Waves, too.

The southernmost capital … • Since Nov 2006 • 5446 posts Report
Ian Dalziel, 12:54 Sep 23, 2011

Minstrels' lament...
Here's a story that speaks volumes about the RWC
and its ruthless overlords:
Unpaid anthem singers at five showpiece matches will not get promised free entry.
bastards...

Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 7953 posts Report
chris, 22:25 Sep 23, 2011

bastards…
A dangerous gamble by the bastards there. The singers could use their platform to bust out some wicked variations in protest a la Tiki Tane.

Mawkland • Since Jan 2010 • 1302 posts Report
Ian Dalziel, 09:15 Sep 24, 2011

revelry and rivalry...
At the games, most of the anger is directed at Cooper. And here lies the crux of the problem, in my opinion. Cooper is persona non grata with his smart-arse baiting of Richie McCaw. This behaviour is the rugby equivalent of farting in a cathedral. Cooper needs to clear the air.
(from the Sydney Morning Herald )

Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 7953 posts Report
Raymond A Francis, in reply to Steve Barnes, 09:33 Sep 24, 2011

So who would you like to run the country Steve?
Elected politicians
Un-elected lawyers (Judges) who we have trouble sacking
Bunch of ancients who wrote a constitution that we need a bunch of the above lawyers to tweek to keep it up to-date
or
Another bunch of lawyers in another country telling us how to run things
And I might say that other country would allow the so called "illegal" video recordings to be presented in Court

45' South • Since Nov 2006 • 578 posts Report
Hadyn Green, 12:07 Sep 24, 2011

Or even a return to a re-jigged form of legislative Council.
Just thought I'd point out, that while I love a good thread-jacking as much as the next guy. But it's probably not gonna win a jersey and I was hoping this would be a nice little "positive story" thread, a better place might be Russell's threads here http://publicaddress.net/hardnews/chill-out-its-a-party/ or here http://publicaddress.net/hardnews/the-ministers-brain-has-exploded/

Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 2090 posts Report
Sacha, in reply to Hadyn Green, 12:11 Sep 24, 2011

I was hoping this would be a nice little "positive story" thread
same

Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report