Of Rugby and Racing

Whose flag did I want to wave — New Zealand’s or Tonga’s?

That was a question I (Marsha) was asked on Nov. 10 when Mike and I attended a free big-screen television viewing of the Kiwi vs Tonga World Cup Rugby League Game. It might seem obvious to cheer for the Kiwis while in Auckland, but large numbers of people from Tonga have immigrated to New Zealand in the last few decades. Most of them live in Auckland, and they are avid Rugby fans!

I diplomatically claimed that I would wave both flags and cheer for the winner!

It was my first time watching a Rugby League game, and what an eye-opener it was. It started with each team doing their a “haka” — the Maori word for their ceremonial war dance. Seeing a whole team of large, well-muscled athletes slowly advancing toward their opposing team while chanting, posturing, and making fearsome faces is intimidating even when you know it is ceremonial.

The game itself was even more intimidating — Rugby League teams rely on the brute strength of their forwards to plow through the opposing players, who gang up to wrestle them to the ground. Although there is some passing and kicking, it is clearly a game of strength. It is much more rough and tumble than American Football, with only a few seconds between a tackle and the ball being put back in play. And it is played with no protective equipment. Ouch!

However, what was most entertaining about the evening was the spirit of the fans. Whole family groups came draped in the red and white colors of the Tongan flag, whooping and hollering for their team. The Kiwi fans were fewer and quieter. The noise in the second half as the Tongan Team recovered from a 2-16 score to take the lead and win 28-22 was astonishing!  Here’s a taste of what happens when Tonga scored. [21-second video].  Since that game, the Tonga team has made it to the semi-finals and will play England next weekend. Then who will I cheer for?

Our other recent Kiwi weekend recreation was more sedate: a few weeks ago we joined one of our Friends Centre guests at the harness racing track a few miles away.

I recall my Grandfather Anderson driving a small pony from a low-slung, two-wheeled sulky, but I had never seen these sulkys being raced. It was odd, yet beautiful, to see the horses rushing around the oval in a fast but controlled trot (rather than the headlong gallop of thoroughbred racing). Odder still to my eye were the ‘pacers’ – horses who move the fore and hind legs on the left side forward, then the fore and hing legs on the right side forward, creating a somewhat swaying gait.  In either case, the drivers sit so low behind the horses that at the end of the race they are covered in dust.  We watched several races, but left the betting to others. (Good thing, since the horses we chose to cheer for never won!)  Here’s a taste of the racing [26-second video].