Can we get a lorry load of perspective on the next plane to New Zealand?
Now we know that rugby is a pretty big deal in New Zealand. And we know that here in Ireland we can get a little bit over involved in sporting storylines ourselves (you remember Saipan, some of us will never forget it).
But the reaction in the Land of the Long White Cloud to Dan Carter’s exit from the Rugby World Cup has taken the whole thing to a whole new level.
We know that Carter was the best player on the team that was expected to win the Webb Ellis trophy on home soil, ending a 24-year-gap between World Cup successes for the All Blacks, so we get the fact it is a big deal.
But the captain of Carter’s hometown rugby club, Gary McGregor, said in the Otago Times that Carter’s injury had “hit us like another earthquake”. Bear in mind that the town, Southbridge, is only 45km from Christchurch, where 181 died just seven months ago.
They have already had another, actual, earthquake in June, when more damage was done to the already devastated city.
As we said, we all get a little carried away over sport, and Rory Best’s shoulder is of more interest than ever before to most people on this island, but we imagine that Mr McGregor’s view is his alone and not reflective of most Kiwis. Right?
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