2011 Rugby World Cup bid announced Friday 5am

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Well, I think the NZ Rugby Union has done its absolute best with its bid for the 2011 World Cup and, if as I suspect, it doesn't come this way they should be able to hold their heads up high and just make sure we win the bloody thing from now on.

I think the mistaken view of "expanding into Asia" will prevail and the Japanese money won't be missed either. If they played any rugby in Asia I could go for it but really, a few company teams in Japan and that's it ... isn't it? Hell, I don't know because I live in the joint first most rugby passionate country in the world (equal with Wales, of course) and everywhere else just seems to be paying it lip service.

As you probably heard on the news, the team presenting to the IRB in Ireland this Thursday (their time, early Friday for us in NZ) is:
  • Colin "Pinetree" Meads, ex-All Black and rugby legend
  • Jock Hobbs, NZRU President
  • Chris Moller, NZRU Chief Executive
  • Tana Umaga, current All Black captain and top Wellington lad
  • Helen Clark, NZ Prime Minister
The result of the IRB's decision can be seen here in NZ on SKY TV (Rugby Channel) around 5am on Friday morning. I, like most, will hear all about it when I wake up to go to work. It will either be the most talked about item or dealt to by a shrug and a, "Heh, thought we'd wouldn't get it".

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