TOP TEN #29: Things wrong with the Super 14.

10. Journalist banter. Do viewers really care about who Bernadine Oliver Kirby and Tony Veitch are supporting? They did it for four days straight! Get a room you two!

9. Corporate boxes. Wankers!

8. Women. The final was a sell out! Has anyone noticed that woman at rugby games have no idea what is going on? They dress up in stupid costumes, chant stupid phrases that have no relevance to the state of play and they cheer after the men tell them that a try has been scored! There should be a rule that when there is a sell out the women should cough up their tickets to people who actually appreciate the game!

7. Tony Johnson. What is it with his chin?

6. Media trained rugby players. How many clichés and colloquialisms can one person put in a sentence? We don’t expect our rugby players to be geniuses but can the PR people come up with a few new phrases to program in to their rugby heads?

5. Hero worship. They’re rugby players, not soldiers, not martyrs, not emergency staff! If you save lives or risk your life for a worthy cause then you are a hero. No exceptions!

4. The commentators. Some former rugby players just don’t know how to retire graciously! Their comments are testimony to why headgear is a must. And for the others, why do they try to shout with an Australian accent?

3. The sponsors. Why is it that only in New Zealand do the CEOs of the sponsors need to drag out the presentation ceremony by delivering speeches? Didn’t we have see enough of their logos throughout the competition? Just hand the trophy over and let the crowd cheer!

2. The weather. More than 24 hours out from kick off there was a strong likelihood of fog. It’s Christchurch for Christ’s sake! Winter + evening + Canterbury Plains + no wind or rain forecast = mist + smog + fog. Couldn’t they have played the game in the afternoon or… that’s right, the television rights. Dooh!



1. The result. You can make the competition bigger with more teams but if the same bloody team wins the comp every year what’s the point?