Rugby World Champions!!

New Zealand Win 2011 Rugby World Cup

Beating France 8 - 7

Let The Games Begin!

OK - the opening ceremony went off with a big bang in Auckland New Zealand:

...and the New Zealand All Blacks did their war dance prior to defeating Tonga 41 - 10:

Oh my!! I hope I can handle all this excitement this far away in Norway. I am having trouble finding Norwegians who will get excited about this...I can't blame them, as they don't even play this game!

New Zealand Vikings!

Ok folks...this is a little different from my usual blog, but tonight the RUGBY WORLD CUP begins in New Zealand. This is so exciting - I have been waiting for this event for years.

Anyway, as you can imagine, the whole country is alive with visitors from all over the world (20 countries in the tournament). Today a flash mob formed in the main streets of Auckland and the New Zealand warriors (Maori) delivered this fine war dance to awaken rugby pride in the locals:

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/rugby-world-cup/news/video.cfm?c_id=1503158&gal_cid=1503158&gallery_id=121322

I am hoping this will take you to the correct site - if not, you can go to the New Zealand Herald site and find it, but that is a little harder to do. It is near the bottom in the left-hand column of this site:

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/rugby-world-cup-2011/

I just wanted you to see our New Zealand warriors/Vikings!