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 NZ Rugby World column, September 2004
It's been a real up and down few days. Sydney and Jo'burg were sharp reminders of how difficult it is to open a real sustainable gap in this professional era of instant replays, video analysis and brilliant coaching, planning and motivation. And the outing of the two Greek wonder sprinters as drug cheats reminded us how corrupt track and field in particular has become. Things have brightened up though. I'm writing this from Athens where we
attended the opening ceremony of the Olympics - and what a spectacle it
was. |
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From the opening heartbeat of one drum being picked up by 300 more before
the comet plunged into the water-filled stadium and flared into the
Olympic Rings, to the magnificent parade through Greek history, it was one
of those rare, unforgettable moments when you felt privileged to be there
experiencing it.
And didn't the New Zealand team look great in their black and silver ferns? And doesn't that make yet another argument for changing our nondescript lookalike flag to the mighty fern? And didn't the Aussies look totally naff in their strident green? A bit like doormen at a surreal botanical Queensland pub. It was fascinating to see 'people power' in action during the introduction of the teams. Social and political commentary more telling than the over-hyped CNN or
the semi-anaesthetised BBC. |
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When the tiny Iraq delegation entered the stadium, the crowd roared their
support. For Palestine's quartet there was ringing applause, for the hip
hop gargantuan Team USA there was silence. (For the Aussies there was
laughter - the green jackets were just too funny!) George H. Bush and Tony
Blair were left very clear on where the people stood on their politics of
war.
Athens has been transformed because of the Olympics. The stadium is amazing and will be converted into a conference venue after the Games. I believe it will position Athens as the new hip conference venue -
replacing Barcelona which was also rebuilt on the Olympics - combining
history, a great climate, low prices with a world class infrastructure of
airports, roads and communication systems. Even the waiters and taxi
drivers are being friendly! |
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I can't help thinking through how great it would have been to see Rugby
Sevens as part of this great festival. Sevens lends itself to the Olympic
ideal perfectly. And it would be a great platform to spread the rugby
dream given there's over 10,000 of the world's media here.
Soccer is here … a great balance with the game being played by Under-23s with a couple of over-age players (how disappointing not to see the All Whites on this stage). Tennis is here … Roger Federer was carrying the Swiss flag. Andy Roddick is here and one of the all-time great athletes Martina Navratilova was parading around with the US team like a 17 year-old - belying her 47 real years. There's hope for us all yet! The argument that we have our own World Cup is specious. Being at the
Olympics would be great for the game, great for our young players -
participating in an Olympics is a once in a lifetime experience - and
great for New Zealand (the chance of a gold!). |
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And I can't see the blazers turning it down. The Olympic trough is second
to none. The Olympics make the Rugby World Cup tournament look like a
village fête.
When the Olympics come to town the International Olympic Committee makes the hotel allocations. The top hotels go to the IOC, the sponsors are then 'allocated' their hotels (US$ 50 million just doesn't go as far as it once did!) and then the punters get whatever's left. We were lucky to be staying at a beautiful, beach-side apartment owned by friends Takis and Katerina; pre-breakfast swims, cold beers on the veranda overlooking the Aegean, and barbecued fish on the beach at sparkling sunset. Our son Ben and a mate from Gisborne, David Lewis aka Dewey, came with
us and made the most of the Games. Soccer, Swimming, Gymnastics and their
favourite, Beach Volleyball (with the Brazilian women's team winning the
most photographed contest) … now if Beach Volleyball is an Olympic sport
and Rugby 7's isn't… |
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So this great event perked us up after the setbacks in Sydney and Jo'burg
but we were still left pondering lots of questions.
Can you dominate without a world-class core of hooker, No. 8 and halfback? Has anyone? Where are the Chris Laidlaw type halfbacks of today? Is it time for Daniel Carter to be developed as a first-five? How can we lift our lineout? How can we create more on-field inspirational leaders? Luckily in Graham Henry, Wayne Smith, Steve Hansen and Sir Brian Lochore we have the team to answer these, and all the other questions these two tough Aussie and Springbok sides are posing. Can't wait for France in November! |
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1998-2007. |
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