Saturday, 20 July 2024

Wreckage: My 27th blog of the year 2024

Well, 9 months have been passed since the All Blacks wrecked our chances of regaining the Rugby World Cup last year which resulted South Africa (Well, they were without their first choice hooker of Malcolm Marx (Along with Makazole Mapimpi who also got injured as well as a result of a fractured eye socket during their final pool match against Tonga in Marseille) whose Rugby World Cup had been cruelly cut short with a tournament ending injury according to the commentary that I remember now from Martin Gillingham prior to the Boks - Wales game at Twickenham last month, & had to witness the final from the stands with the rest of his non-playing teammates, as South Africa had made rugby history of becoming the first to win 4 championships) who remained champions of the world (Our own AB's was the first side to defend the Rugby World Cup in 2015 followed by the Springboks who continued their dominance on the international rugby field as well as their dynasty following their win by a single point against us in the final, moments before the global sporting icon of Siya Kolisi (The Head of the Table & the self-proclaimed rugby god who is affectually known as 'The Bear' according to the comment that I literally remember now from former Springbok rugby player turned sideline commentator Schalk Burger during the South Africa - Ireland test) who hoisted the William Webb Ellis trophy aloft once more when the South Africans had brought the cup to their home shores yet again, but it's been 32 years since South Africa had been readmitted to international sport way back in 1992 (They first competed in the men's Cricket World Cup in 1992 when the South Africans made their debut on the international stage when they made the semi against England at the Sydney Cricket Ground in Sydney, only to be denied for what looks like that wet weather has come around when the South Africans needed 22 runs of 13 deliveries before the rain came, then in all of a sudden after the weather had cleared, they needed 22 off 1 for which was bitterly disappointing stuff for South Africa as they were KO'd by England in the end who progressed through to the final against Pakistan) following the end of apartheid when the late great Nelson Mandela was released from prison in 1990, 4 years before becoming president of South Africa in 1994 (A year before the Springboks would first taste success at a Rugby World Cup in 1995 (That's 12 years before winning their next one in France in 2007 against England in the final at the Stade de France in Paris, 12 years before winning another one in Japan against the same opponent in 2019 at the International Stadium in Yokohama, 4 years before they would gone on to retain the Rugby World Cup, being the 2nd side to do so after the All Blacks in 2015 in England against Australia at Twickenham in London in the final (For which the 2015 one was the greatest rugby match I have ever watched on TV of all time during my whole but entire life) which we followed up to our victory in 2011 on home soil here in our country of NZ against France during the final at Eden Park in Auckland) when they were hosts of that tournament in which Joel Stransky provided the clutch moment in which he nailed that drop goal attempt during extra time & after the World Cup win against New Zealand, the whole nation was united under the leadership of the late Mandela in one of South Africa's most iconic but legendary sporting moments according to the previous blogs that I did), & held on to that position until Thabo Mbeki (Who was president before Kgalema Molanthe then Jacob Zuma & now Cyril Ramaphosa who is currently the South African president as of today) took over in 1999), therefore costing our story billed as the scars of '23 in light of our captain at the time of Sam Cane who became the first player to be shown the red card in a Rugby World Cup final after being given a card under review for what looks to be that Cane's shoulder had illegally made contact to the head of Springbok centre Jesse Kriel before the TMO upgraded it to a send off offence because it was a high degree of force without mitigation in which the whole New Zealand fanbase were livid & fuming, then they trolled the English referee Wayne Barnes after the final on social media that he just cost our country the RWC, in which he was shocked about it being the victim of online hate & discrimination, in which they already introduced a crack down by coming down hard on them with the sport's governing body of World Rugby are asking for respect towards the officials on social media in which the war on online abuse had been declared also according to the blogs that I did back in March this year.

And onto the Olympics stuff as Dame Lisa Carrington (Who was knighted in the aftermath of her success at the most recent Olympics in Tokyo in 2021) will be New Zealand's leading Olympian going into Paris in July-August this year, but I once heard a comment from my close mate of Carole at Rutland Arms Inn on the 23rd of May that Carrington got beaten in a pre-Olympic canoeing trials by that fellow Kiwi opponent, & her form must be dwindling after dominating the last 3 Olympics that she had in London 2012 (That was the first time she had been involved in which she made her Olympic debut which resulted in success first time round), Rio 2016 (In which she was the only golden girl at that games) & Tokyo 2020 which was held in 2021 (Who went on to win 3 more in the K1 200m, the K1 500m & the K2 200m event with her old sparring partner of Caitlin Regal) as a result of the pandemic that they had in 2020 regarding to COVID & stuff.

And returning to the rugby news department that Canada have made women's rugby history as they overpower our very own world champion Black Ferns side by 3 points in a close game for the first time in international women's rugby at the Apollo Projects Stadium in Christchurch, & claim the Pac 4 championship for the first time after New Zealand dominated the first two in 2022 & last year as well as moving up to 2nd in the world rankings behind the dominant England women's rugby side (Who are the Black Ferns main challengers alongside France & now Canada going into next year's Women's Rugby World Cup in England next year but the next international women's rugby competition is the 2nd season of WXV1 which is going to be held in Canada later in the year with England being the reigning champs going into this years WXV1 competition after dominating last year against the Black Ferns in the decider at Mount Smart Stadium in Auckland) who already retained the Women's Six Nations title this year.

And finally I have announced already that I will be heading to The Cobb (Well, the meal prices at The Cobb have been increased due to the winter season that they're just having now so me & Pops always go in a fortnight now with Dad instead) on my birthday on June 7th (That's 2 days after Dad's birthday & 3 days before Aunty Tan's birthday as well, but Pops birthday on July 5th takes place 4 weeks after mine) for my birthday dinner there with our whanau.

So that is my 551st blog of the year 2024 (MMXXIV) & my 27th of this year, viva Ukraine & Palestine.

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