Also stadia that have to be booked for weeks of games that never happen.

Happens anyway, no? (Inherent in any elimination tournament.)

Are there any elimination only rugby tournaments anywhere in the world? It might just be that a tournament where your team could get knocked out in the first…

It's not rational, but I don't like it when teams adopt an "official" nickname.

Adopt? Agree.

I've no problem with the Hurricanes, or the Chiefs – it's official, but that's how it's always been. But the Wellington Lions can just bug off.

Hurricanes make the flight back to Hamilton for 2v3, and I'm really hoping we can scrounge a couple of fit props and a halfback.

And despite being from said evil uber-province I totally agree.

What the NZRU…

I think it's a problem with there being limited opportunities to coach the game at a professional level here in NZ. Cooper's only opportunities at his current level and above are other S14 franchises in NZ,…

Believe me, some of the Wgtn jobs-for-the-boys brigade do hold him responsible for it. Even Graeme Moody has publicly stated that, and made reference to the fact that such a demonic figure thinks he might one day be Canes coach.

You’re probably right in that they see him as…

Better to look after your Wellington mates and not…

But Colin Cooper is useless.…

Happens anyway, no? (Inherent in any elimination tournament.)

. Some will watch anyway, but no where near as many as would watch it if their team was in it.

Many people already don't give a damn.

Agree with you totally on Russell, rumours are that he’s held responsible of the Clint Newlands incident in Wgtn, and forgiveness is not something that comes easily.

Anyway, what I liked about what you wrote was the emotion. You just don’t see that emotion when people talk…

(which no-one else will join me in calling Amy)

I will gladly join you in doing so, if for no other reason than pissing off the boof-head brigade :-)

We will be in the final this year, mark my words.

The Mighty Magpies have got -what? – over ten players in the Super 14 this year? It really is telling that so many Hawkes bay players were picked up…

I guess I'm anticipating a round-robin structure to the NPC part of the competition, with no play-offs until you reach the knock-out stage that involves the other countries.

You're right that club rugby doesn't earn money for the province, but people seem concerned that the grassroots oif the game…

So you're saying that no-one other than Man U and Barcelona fans are going to watch the Champions League final?

No I'm saying that Otago/Wellington/Hawkes Bay people who would typically watch (either at the game or on the TV) their team play, are much less likely to watch Auckland play…

Geoff, what's the crowd average for Waikato Stadium this year, do you know?

Sorry, I don't know--I just go for the great hamburgers! But there may be some sad truth in your claims about live audiences, for we starting going to Chiefs games 'round mid-season, when things started picking up…

And Australia doesn't have a domestic rugby competition like the Air NZ Cup. There's nothing between club rugby and Super rugby is there?

You're right. Thgey tried to install one then O'Neill got cold feet about the development cost ($5-8m or something, not a small amount of money). Which is…

Screw them, with a 500ml Heineken even.

@Emma,
And I’m guessing that only having one stand, and it faces south, isn’t that appealing at this time of year?

*twitches*

The Hadlee stand faces south. The Paul Kelley and the Coloured Girls stand faces east . The new Deans stand will be the Sun-strike stand. The ground will…

The problem with some sort of 'top X teams from the domestic competition going on to some further competition' is that you instantly exclude a heap of your players, and at least half your country from any interest in it.

I mean, if Auckland, Waikato and Canterbury make the knockout,…

Something to do with paying for a new stand for some kind of World Cup thingy?

Don't tell half of Dunedin that you're only paying for a new stand. They'll be pissed that you got off so cheaply.

And Robbie’s not around any more...

It's not like they can raise a crowd at AMI Stadium (Is that what it's called these days? Lancaster) worth a damn anyway.

We're all too whacked out of our brains on P and cow-tipping to find the stadium (which no-one else will join me in calling Amy).

Well, okay.…

I mean, if Auckland, Waikato and Canterbury make the knockout,…

Sorry! In my defence, I never thought you'd be *that* far behind.

Ihug/vodafone has this broadband plan where you get 20GB at good speed, and then sometime after that (seems to kick in at about 25 – 30GB, must be when they figure out that you're really serious that month)…

Overall, numbers are dropping all around the country. The Chiefs will sell out for the Brumbies, and then their semi, but watch what happens at the start of the next season. First game good, second game average,…

What's the point of emailing me and not providing spoilers, and then putting them on here? Two people here following hockey and we can't coordinate?

Sorry! In my defence, I never thought you'd be *that* far behind.

Simon P is right. Governance of the game here is the problem. The NZRU is a monolithic bureaucracy that is currently full of apparachiks who are simply not…

The most gratifying thing about it is the way their pack is performing. Journeymen like Clarke and May are playing out of their skins and they look to have uncovered some real talent in McGougan and de Malmanche (even if he does…

..and they will again, tonight.

Declining crowds.

Well, it didn't seem like that last Saturday night, packed into the Waikato Stadium. My beloved and I had to sit rows apart, as we could only get single tickets by mid-week. Tonight's game looks to…

what the fuck is wrong with rugby league players?

Other male team sports in this part of the world have problems too, but for sheer frequency and an undercurrent of casual misogyny, the leaguies are shocking. Greg Bird, Brett Stewart, Michael Crockett, the list goes on, and that's just in…

Especially the Black Caps.

This name only makes sense to me when they're wearing actual caps.

I feel like they should be renamed when they're batting and both batsmen are wearing helmets.

Carolina and Boston, Detroit and Anaheim are also game 7 finishes, both on today.

Oh FFS.

What's the point of emailing me and not providing spoilers, and then putting them on here? Two people here following hockey and we can't coordinate?

(If you mention game 7 results before Sunday night,…

I like the organic ones. All Blacks, Kiwis, Silver Ferns, All Whites etc.

But all the ones rammed down our throats over the last 20 years, make me determined to still refer to the team as New Zealand.

Especially the Black Caps.…

Chiefs (5th) get slaughtered by the Brumbies(4th). Hurricanes win (2nd), Crusaders win with a bonus point (3rd).

Somehow, we have to put up with the smug Australians claiming the crown (damn you Brumbies) or the Bulls. (Rather than, of course, them putting up…

It's not rational, but I don't like it when teams adopt an "official" nickname. I thought "Black Caps" was dreadful, but it seems to have been logical enough to stick.

I thought the Tall Blacks name was in place before the All Whites? Except it hadn’t really taken off.

My favourite “stupid name” story was hockey. Spending $100k in coming up with a name for the women’s team to compliment the Men’s “Black Sticks”. And they arrived at ...…

I like the Rockets. I like that Ron Artest pissed off Kobe Bryant. I like that the Rockets gave the Lakers a massive beat down without Yao Ming or Tracey McGrady. In short: Go Rockets!

Or, thinking about the last game here, not. Sigh. Come on, fightin' underdogs!

My husband,…

IIRC…

Dream result: Chiefs smash Brumbies, Hurricanes ditto Reds. Crusaders do whatever. Sharks narrowly beat the Bulls. meaning no kiwi team has to do…

Can't the NZRU tell that this competition has reached its use by date and they seriously need…