'Allo, 'Allo, 'Allo! What's going one 'ere, then?

Another 'celebrity' on his way home from early 'church' on a Sunday morn gets to blow into the bag.

Doing themselves and sport great favours. Little wonder the hierarchy is keeping quiet. I wonder who else was pissing up with him and was it sanctioned by those up the chain?

Shocking behaviour by ego polisher

After being funded by taxpayers to the tune of around $45K for a jolly at the five ringed circus, the self styled 'Queen' Bea has dragged herself into the gutter.

A senior member of the team and no doubt a role model for some aspiring atheletes, she has done herself, the team and NZ no favours after publicly tripping over her ego.

Offensive and galling. Confirms what is said about sore losers.

Hopefully she does not make future events and retires with much more grace.

ps: I know I wasn't going to post on the circus, but this really got up my nose.

Government threats over festering sore

The Minister responsible for Auckland has waded into the fight over Mt Eden being funded by ratepayers with threats. Obviously under direction from higher up, she has broken the ice and suggested Lancaster Park or whatever it is called these days is a viable option.

JB has called her bluff and said that for H1 to host the final in a stadium elsewhere than her own electorate is political suicide.

I'm telling you she won't do that. Auckland City is committed to the 2011 World Cup. We're committed to putting in a big chunk of money. We just want some fairness around this.

The minister further suggests there might be an out,

may also be counting on a change of heart by Auckland Regional Council about putting money toward the project, in the event that its chairmanship changes as a result of the weekend's local body elections.

Is she suggesting that the ARC should get a new chair that is more of a compliant pink hue? I thought the Auckland Robbery Company was elected on and of the same opinion, no money from ratepayers for the stadium. Covernment could only hope for this festering sore to be so easily fixed. Government, stay out of local body politics!

Bring the fight on! What with the bleating from a very lonely red dinosaur in the wilderness out west no longer going to be 'Lord Mare' and the government looking to get stuck in over matters local, the forthcoming days will be extremely entertaining.

Very surprised Judith is doing Trev's dirty work. Hello! Trev? Are you there?

43 days of hell has already started

Further to my last, Belinda McCammon has a very good summary of what those partners, who show no interest in the national game, can or can't do whilst enduring pure unrelenting hell. 43 days? It started months ago with the Mallardrome.

It may be only every four years but for these people, Saturday marks the start of 43 days of pure unrelenting, media saturating rugby hell

Copied without shame, here is the full list.

Top 10 survival tips

1. Don't talk during the game or ask questions if you don't understand what's going on - best to feign knowledge through silence. And don't save your talking up for half-time, that's for the commentary team not you.

2. Three minutes to fulltime, the score tied, with a drop-kick all that's standing between the All Blacks winning ... it's not the time to ask whether you should go to his parents for Christmas or yours.

3. No matter how cute and fit you find those finely tuned and highly skilled professional athletes, keep the "Phwoar!!" comments to a minimum. It only validates his ogling the Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition. Also be sensitive if you are captivated by all those toned manly thighs - oh those thighs - it may not be appreciated if your partner has spent the past month eating chicken wings and drinking beer on the sofa.

4. Tap into emotional blackmail. Now is the time to splurge on all those "must have" items which rising interest rates and shaky finance companies have put paid to. Neglect should have its financial rewards.

5. Harmless language can have a loaded meaning during the RWC. "Food-poisoning", "out with injury" and "choking" should not be bandied about during All Black games, they will not see the funny side.

6. Don't ask your partner to explain the breakdown of the scrum. Not only will it confuse you but it will only prove that he doesn't understand it either.

7. Have distractions on hand should the worst happen. Snacks, toys, tissues, a comfort blanket, a tape of the 1987 RWC win, anything which will help ease the agony of another four years lost.

8. Do not underestimate the importance of replayed games and highlights packages. It may seem like watching paint dry to you but, as we know, once is never enough for a man. Likewise, if you hear a result from another pool match let him find out on his own - especially if it involves France, South Africa or Australia storming to yet another on-form victory.

9. Accept you will attend social gatherings, which do not revolve around rugby, by yourself until the tournament is over. This includes anything involving births, deaths and marriages. And do not invite your rugby-hating friends around to the house while the games are on, especially if they have children.

10. Be ready to celebrate if the All Blacks win. You may be a fair-weather-friend but fans will be so relieved it's not another four years in the wilderness all will be forgiven.

Thankfully, the RWC does have a shelf life.

Hopes of a nation?

The Editor over here suggests that there may be just a dozen NZers that are not interested in the madness that starts full on in about 5 days. For that he says that he may not use the heading 'carries with it the hopes of a nation', but that 'we're all backing the men in black' .

Well here is number thirteen and know there are more. I have never warmed to this and other similar games by professional thugs where people brutually assault and injure each other, reminding me of blood sports. I often wonder where the injuries sustained during such bouts will leave them in later life and how those long term effects will assault my wallet via future ACC taxes.

I personally have been to less live games than I could count one hand and cannot understand the hype over such mob brutality. I do however, as some ratepayers and taxpayers will be wondering very soon, wonder why we are about to pay dearly, for the ensuing largesse of a professional sport.

And the editor is correct, it is a considerable burden, carried all my adult life that I do not show any interest in the purported 'national' game of thuggery. I have been personally vilified, totally ignored socially and for career promotions because of my stated lack of interest . There are far less brutal, no less popular, sports to watch and support.