Alright, we've got a big year of rugby, so I thought we should have a thread. There's the World Cup of course, but right now the big news is:
THE WELLINGTON HURRICANES ARE IN THE GRAND FINAL OF THE SUPER RUGBY!
Gather 'round, young Interference, it's story time.
Once upon a time at the end of an amateur era that feels so long ago, a series of regional club-based competitions were reorganised into the new Super 12 in time for the 1996 season. It featured five teams from New Zealand, four from South Africa, and three from Australia. Twenty years later, it's now called Super Rugby, and it has expanded to fifteen teams (from next year, sixteen) with the addition of extra South African and Australian teams. Indisputably the most awesome club are the Wellington Hurricanes.
Of the previous nineteen seasons, twelve have been won by Kiwi clubs. Unfortunately, the lion's share of that have gone to the Canterbury Crusaders - seven. The Auckland Blues have three, and the Waikato Chiefs two. That's right, Wellington have been denied glory. So have the Otago Highlanders. Even Waikato, once the worst of the New Zealand teams, came good. Poor old Wellington had only made the grand final once, in 2006, went into it as rank outsiders, and lost to Canterbury in a bizarre game where an almost impenetrable fog blanketed the ground. Even when the Hurricanes made it to the semis in a few other years, they got bundled out rather promptly. Usually by bloody Canterbury. And no matter what happened, the 'Canes were infuriatingly inconsistent. At least fellow Kiwi stragglers Otago just tended to stay stuck in a low gear. The Hurricanes would stammer through every gear, sometimes in the space of a single half.
But then the 2015 season happened! We have absolutely dominated the tournament, dropping only two games and finishing miles ahead of everybody else. We got the first week of finals off. Then tonight we knocked off the ACT Brumbies and HERE WE ARE! A HOME GRAND FINAL! I was starting to wonder if I would live to see the day. And just to cap it off, Otago - yes, that's right, the other Kiwi team starved of finals success - secured the other grand final berth by defeating reigning champions the NSW Waratahs. No matter who wins, it will be a massive occasion. Otago are my second team, since my family traces back to there, but oh my god HURRICANES! HURRICANES!
Tune in next Saturday to watch me post to myself during the game!
THE WELLINGTON HURRICANES ARE IN THE GRAND FINAL OF THE SUPER RUGBY!
Gather 'round, young Interference, it's story time.
Once upon a time at the end of an amateur era that feels so long ago, a series of regional club-based competitions were reorganised into the new Super 12 in time for the 1996 season. It featured five teams from New Zealand, four from South Africa, and three from Australia. Twenty years later, it's now called Super Rugby, and it has expanded to fifteen teams (from next year, sixteen) with the addition of extra South African and Australian teams. Indisputably the most awesome club are the Wellington Hurricanes.
Of the previous nineteen seasons, twelve have been won by Kiwi clubs. Unfortunately, the lion's share of that have gone to the Canterbury Crusaders - seven. The Auckland Blues have three, and the Waikato Chiefs two. That's right, Wellington have been denied glory. So have the Otago Highlanders. Even Waikato, once the worst of the New Zealand teams, came good. Poor old Wellington had only made the grand final once, in 2006, went into it as rank outsiders, and lost to Canterbury in a bizarre game where an almost impenetrable fog blanketed the ground. Even when the Hurricanes made it to the semis in a few other years, they got bundled out rather promptly. Usually by bloody Canterbury. And no matter what happened, the 'Canes were infuriatingly inconsistent. At least fellow Kiwi stragglers Otago just tended to stay stuck in a low gear. The Hurricanes would stammer through every gear, sometimes in the space of a single half.
But then the 2015 season happened! We have absolutely dominated the tournament, dropping only two games and finishing miles ahead of everybody else. We got the first week of finals off. Then tonight we knocked off the ACT Brumbies and HERE WE ARE! A HOME GRAND FINAL! I was starting to wonder if I would live to see the day. And just to cap it off, Otago - yes, that's right, the other Kiwi team starved of finals success - secured the other grand final berth by defeating reigning champions the NSW Waratahs. No matter who wins, it will be a massive occasion. Otago are my second team, since my family traces back to there, but oh my god HURRICANES! HURRICANES!
Tune in next Saturday to watch me post to myself during the game!