Sport. And Rugby. Seperate.
I was outraged today when I went to my homepage, http://www.xtra.co.nz, and discovered a slightly new page layout.
It wasn't so much the fact that it was new. I think it was actually quite cool. You could choose your previews of the news by genre. Like travel, games, entertainment, general news and such like. It's actually a really good idea and I give xtra a big thumbs up for it.
However, what I do NOT like is that RUGBY has its own little section. There is a SPORT section but is it good enough for rugby? Nooooooooo. Rugby is so special that it needs a section to itself.
I can appreciate that rugby is our nation's sport. That's ok. I enjoy watching rugby sometimes. I even join in with making angry animal noises every time George Gregan is on the screen (that man is a w******!!!!!!). And sure, I'll be happy if we beat the Aussies. Or South Africa. Or even England (only because of the way they acted after "winning" the World Cup).
But why seperate it into a sub-group in the xtra news? Is it because it's the sport that our nation is best at? Last I checked the last time we won the World Cup was in 1987 when we thumped the French 29-9 at Eden Park. (Please correct me if I'm wrong there, I'm only going by what two and a half years with a rugby crazed boyfriend does to you). I'm not saying that we suck at rugby. We do seem to be quite good at it, but we rarely perform that well.
I know that by writing this I am probably going to be inspiring large amounts of rage in some people but I myself am rather enraged that rugby is getting it's own special little spot on xtra.
Why not, wait for it...... Cycling. Good old Sarah Ulmer won us the gold AND broke several world records at Athens.
And just so I'm not being biased... Why not multisport? We've got Hamish Carter and Bevan Docherty. Between them they've won gold AND silver at Athens AND a World Championship to name some! And good old Hamish got second at the most recent World Champs. Those boys are making us PROUD!
And further evidence to show that I'm unbiased - THE EVERS SWINDELL TWINS!!!! Come on! They're twins!!! And even Rob Waddell!
We have more success in sports like this, yet they don't get nearly the same amount of support that rugby does. Is it because Daniel Carter is, like, the sexiest thing you've ever seen? (*vomits*). Is it because Dougie is just so cute with his bouncy hair? (Actually hasn't he cut it off? I havn't seen him and his boofy hair round for a while.....) Is it because we like seeing men running around with a ball and jumping on top of eachother in, as Bill and Ben would describe it, a Man Love Moment?
Why do we like rugby so much? I wont deny that we clearly so love it as the nation practically goes into mourning when we lose to the Aussies (or the French! Or anyone!!) and it's been proven that domestic violence rises when we lose as well.
Oh well, as much as I wish there was something I could do about it, it doesn't look like there is. And I'll be stuck with the annoyance of seeing the "Rugby" section on xtra every time I use the internet.
Maybe I should change my homepage...
It wasn't so much the fact that it was new. I think it was actually quite cool. You could choose your previews of the news by genre. Like travel, games, entertainment, general news and such like. It's actually a really good idea and I give xtra a big thumbs up for it.
However, what I do NOT like is that RUGBY has its own little section. There is a SPORT section but is it good enough for rugby? Nooooooooo. Rugby is so special that it needs a section to itself.
I can appreciate that rugby is our nation's sport. That's ok. I enjoy watching rugby sometimes. I even join in with making angry animal noises every time George Gregan is on the screen (that man is a w******!!!!!!). And sure, I'll be happy if we beat the Aussies. Or South Africa. Or even England (only because of the way they acted after "winning" the World Cup).
But why seperate it into a sub-group in the xtra news? Is it because it's the sport that our nation is best at? Last I checked the last time we won the World Cup was in 1987 when we thumped the French 29-9 at Eden Park. (Please correct me if I'm wrong there, I'm only going by what two and a half years with a rugby crazed boyfriend does to you). I'm not saying that we suck at rugby. We do seem to be quite good at it, but we rarely perform that well.
I know that by writing this I am probably going to be inspiring large amounts of rage in some people but I myself am rather enraged that rugby is getting it's own special little spot on xtra.
Why not, wait for it...... Cycling. Good old Sarah Ulmer won us the gold AND broke several world records at Athens.
And just so I'm not being biased... Why not multisport? We've got Hamish Carter and Bevan Docherty. Between them they've won gold AND silver at Athens AND a World Championship to name some! And good old Hamish got second at the most recent World Champs. Those boys are making us PROUD!
And further evidence to show that I'm unbiased - THE EVERS SWINDELL TWINS!!!! Come on! They're twins!!! And even Rob Waddell!
We have more success in sports like this, yet they don't get nearly the same amount of support that rugby does. Is it because Daniel Carter is, like, the sexiest thing you've ever seen? (*vomits*). Is it because Dougie is just so cute with his bouncy hair? (Actually hasn't he cut it off? I havn't seen him and his boofy hair round for a while.....) Is it because we like seeing men running around with a ball and jumping on top of eachother in, as Bill and Ben would describe it, a Man Love Moment?
Why do we like rugby so much? I wont deny that we clearly so love it as the nation practically goes into mourning when we lose to the Aussies (or the French! Or anyone!!) and it's been proven that domestic violence rises when we lose as well.
Oh well, as much as I wish there was something I could do about it, it doesn't look like there is. And I'll be stuck with the annoyance of seeing the "Rugby" section on xtra every time I use the internet.
Maybe I should change my homepage...
posted by Susie at
6:10 pm
2 Comments:
Us crazy Westerners who are obsessed about ourselves and our sports and everything material and self-absorbing don't know what we want. We want whatever is offered too us, but we're never satisfied. Whatever we are given, we are missing out on the other option.
For as many of us saying "DAMN YOU RUDBY SECTION" there are probably just as many, if not more who are stoked with the rugby section on the Xtra homepage.
I think a lot of it depends on what you were raised with, I was raised with aircraft (actually, an aeroplane used to tuck me in bed at night and read me stories), motor-racing (except stock cars, that was looked down upon in my family), James Bond movies, Queen (that's all from my dad), and from my mum Hair and Make-up (but I rebelled against that and didn't want to know anything about hair or make-up even though my mum offered to enrol me in star-courses) and all sorts of other things.
Rugby was not one of them. Therefore I have had no real interest in the sport until recently when myself and my friend (who used to be punk and used to shave the sides of her head for her green mohawk) went to the pub in Wellington all dressed up (she was wearing Versace) had a pint of beer and watched a rugby game. Brilliant!! The atmosphere was awesome and we felt like true kiwi girls.
My point is, individually I was not raised with an interest in rugby (and it was the only sport I was not allowed to play) but raised in New Zealand, rugby is part of our culture. We can question it all we like, but look at other countries - Australia is a rugby culture, most of Europe is a soccer culture, while most of Africa is only worried where their next meal comes from. I can live with a rugby section me thinks. But I will a tad annoyed if Shortland Steet is replaced with "All Black's Wives".
By
Roslyn, at 11:46 pm, October 03, 2006
Haha - Rudby section.
How stoked is Sparticus that she wasn't born in Africa?! She probably would be the next meal, and if she's hot in Palmerston - think how hot she'd be in Africa?!?!
My God, WHO WOULD BRUSH HER?!?!?
By
Roslyn, at 11:48 pm, October 03, 2006
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