By Adrian Hill - 14 May 2009

As I travelled around the beautiful country of New Zealand recently, I was struck by how sport unites its cosmopolitan society. The nation’s remoteness, in a way, is its strength – a “them against us” syndrome combined with the innate warrior instinct derived from the large Maori and Polynesian population.

 

 

Across the spectrum Kiwis punch above their weight...Three Olympic gold  medals came their way in Beijing via the traditional strengths in rowing and sailing, and the shot putter with Anglo-Tongan heritage - Valerie Vili. New Zealand teams are Rugby League world champions, Commonwealth gold and world silver medallists in netball and regular cricket World Cup semi-finalists.

 

 

One sport, though, above all captivates the Kiwis – Rugby Union – and the consistent failure to win the Webb Ellis Trophy is a source of national angst that everyone is desperate for the All Blacks to put right on home soil in 2011. Images of the team are everywhere, they are Gods in the eyes of most of their compatriots, but the sporting psyche that exists in the “Shaky Isles” permeates through to success in any field.

 

Vili says: “New Zealand sport is dominated by rugby and rugby players, but when I won the Commonwealth Games in 2006 I noticed that I suddenly had a national profile, and that just got bigger when I won Gold at the 2007 Worlds and 2008 Olympic Games. You’re public property, but that’s ok – you have to get on with it. I’m aware of it, but I don’t have a choice. People like to talk to me and I’m fine with that.

 

“I have no choice but to be a role model for youngsters from a similar background to myself. I feel honoured to be considered as an achiever and hope others can follow me.”

Vili, although not enamoured with the financial support she receives and, as reported on this website, refusing to rule out switching horses to Team GB, plans to defend her title in 2012. New Zealand Olympic team manager Dave Currie believes his charges (with Vili or not) could achieve great things: “We look at 2012 as being a `Home Games` for us. There are so many New Zealanders based in London, so we will get great support, there are no extreme weather concerns, and we know the environment and the culture there.

 

“We are strong in rowing, triathlon and sailing, we have excellent programmes in both swimming and hockey, and track and field is on the up. It’s the heart and soul of the Games, so it was nice to see black vests doing well in Beijing, recalling the feats of Murray Halberg, Peter Snell and John Walker.

 

“We have no targets, our only concern is to make sure the New Zealand Olympic team is competitive.”

 

Currie, who now also carries out a similar role for New Zealand Cricket, was Chef de Mission in Beijing, a spectacle he calls a `moment in time` Games. “The grandeur and scale will never be seen again. The venues blew your mind. We won three gold medals from a population of just four million people and sent 283 athletes – the 16th or 17th largest team. We can continue to excel.”

 

Before 2012, New Zealand is gearing up to host its own “Olympics” – the 2011 Rugby World Cup. It’s the largest event the country has ever hosted and tournament organiser Martin Snedden says the national mood is one of excitement, not fear.

 

“I guess it’s the sense of a national occasion and our historical interest in rugby. It’s the biggest thing on the horizon, has been given the highest priority by the Government and, in my experience, it just has such a `cut through` with our people.

 

“They are all interested, with the cricket (World Cup) some would be interested but probably more wouldn’t. It’s gone another step - rugby plus an `event`.”

 

The passion is undoubted, but many observers believe New Zealand were fortunate to be awarded the tournament. There are major logistical challenges and there’s a feeling that it lacks the commercial drive and intuition of larger economies. The Kiwis missed out on hosting part of the 2003 RWC when the failure of local sponsors to agree to “stand aside” for tournament backers at the venues forced the International Rugby Board to strip the country of co-host status alongside Australia. The Aussies made a huge success of the tournament and the tourism dollars flooded in... watched enviously from across the Tasman.

 

“What happened then has made our job a bit easier this time,” claims Snedden. “Our people knew the IRB (International Rugby Board) were serious on this issue, while in 2002 they thought it was 'optional' and that we could call their bluff – well, we called their bluff and lost.”

 

There is evidence of infrastructure being built in readiness for 2011, and hundreds of millions of dollars are being spent on stadia renovation projects in Auckland and Christchurch. While cruise ships will be used to house some of the 70,000 expected visitors. It’s a big deal for a small country.

 

But can the All Blacks win the prize craved by their nation above all others? It’s staggering that a team which has largely dominated international rugby for the last 20 years has not claimed the World Cup since the inaugural event in 1987.
 

Rugby Sevens is one of the sports bidding to be accepted into the Olympics in 2016 and, should it be successful, it would surely provide a boost for the Kiwi medal count. Steve Tew, chief executive of the New Zealand Rugby Union, is an enthusiastic supporter of the concept, enhanced by the recent staging in the Gulf of the Rugby World Cup Sevens, at which key members of the International Olympic Committee were present.

 

Tew says: “I think the presentation of both the men’s and women’s competitions in Dubai was fantastic. To see Kenyans, Zambians, Ugandans and Brazilians competing was very encouraging. Undoubtedly, being an Olympic sport would be enormously important for rugby, but it’s a two-way relationship.

 

“We would fill the stadium in the first week for a few days when it would be normally empty and generate considerable revenue. The Commonwealth Games in Melbourne was a very good example - it would be a win-win situation. We have something to offer - the time is right.”

 

Yes, the time may be right for rugby at the Olympics, and how the Kiwis would love that...

Adrian Hill has recently gone freelance, having covered sport for both the BBC and Sky Sports for almost 20 years. He also contributes to various newspapers and magazines, and is currently writing a book on rugby union history – Rugby On This Day.

 
Comments


We could without Britain trying to steal our Olympic gold
medallists. Hands off!
By Angry NZ Olympic fan

25 May 2009 at 12:43pm