Well, welcome to our readers here in New Zealand, & around the world, I'm Whetu Ngapo & you're tuning in to my KiwiAvenger blog here on blogger, but first that the draw for the 2027 men's Rugby World Cup had been announced (I missed it so I wasn't interested until I found out that in the sports news article of the Whanganui Chronicle as I saw it before recently) as the All Blacks for the first time, will take on the hosts of the Wallabies (Who we haven't played them at a men's Rugby World Cup since 2015 (And the last time we lost to them during the tourney was in 2003 where a Stirling Mortlock try off an intercept (Even Joe Rokocoko tried to chase him, because it was no avail due to his inability of stopping him from scoring that certain 5-pointer), ended our chances of reaching the final which marked a turning point) in that epic final that was by far, the best of all time at Twickenham in that we were winners for our last men's RWC title to date & the only time we managed to win the tournament on foreign soil, even before the South African dominance began in 2019 where they had to win the World Cup after 12 years as part of their resurgence to the top, then they had gone back to back in 2023 to retain the men's Rugby World Cup championship following a controversial final which was the strangest ever (And what was the reaction of the New Zealand crowd? Well they're stunned, stunned silence, & after the game that there was a chorus of boos by our All Black fans rang out in the stadium towards the English referee who took charge in the final therefore showing hostility towards them, especially online where he got abused by the New Zealanders therefore tightening its legislations about hate on social media for which has been no existent now) in pool play (And it'll be the 2nd consecutive men's RWC that New Zealand has drawn in pool play along with the hosts, because it was France first & foremost in which they beat us as they became the first side in history, to defeat the AB's in pool play), but our path doesn't get much easier than that as we are on the same side of the draw as the reigning champions South Africa (Who I label as by far the most smartest rugby team on the planet than any other national rugby teams (As well as the most powerful mainly because of their beefy forward pack), but they are attempting to win the men's Rugby World Cup 3 times in a row, as no side has ever achieved that feat before in history, but the last time the All Blacks had lost in a quarterfinal, it was back in 2007 in which we fell short to France (Including that certain winning try should've been ruled out in the process due to the fact that the pass was way forward, but, no doubt it came forward! It's unbelievable that's been missed) by 2 points at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, & the last time South Africa had lost a quarterfinal, it was in 2011 against the Wallabies where the Boks should've won because of the illegal turnovers from the Aussies that went unnoticed by the referee, & also the last time the South Africans tasted defeat in a men's RWC knockout game was in the semifinal was also back in 2015 against the all-conquering New Zealand side at Twickenham in London) for which has been always a tough nut to crack in terms of their dominance, our likely quarterfinal opponent, along with the French (Who we haven't played them in the semi since 1999 in which the late Jonah Lomu (The greatest rugby player of all-time) wreaked havoc as he scored a double, before the French (Who haven't been to a semifinal since 2011 after losing the quarterfinal 3 consecutive times against the eventual champion All Blacks in 2015 in what was a record margin score at a men's RWC knockout game, then Wales in 2019 after one of their French players had been shown the red card regarding to foul play, & also the eventual champions the Springboks in 2023 at their home tournament) made a just incredible comeback for the ages to down New Zealand like that when they reached the final to claim the biggest upset in international rugby before the Brighton miracle had even happened back in 2015 where Japan pulled off an historic upset win for the ages against the South Africans (And Pops alluded to me before in 2015 or 2016 that the Japanese men in the crowd were getting emotional following that historic boil over) for which is our opponent in the semi if we beat the South Africans of course (If we lose to Australia, we got to avoid the Boks (Who we haven't played against them in the quarters since 2003 in which we knocked them out (And the key highlights of that game was the late Jerry Collins's gargantuan tackle on Thinus Delport that sent shockwaves around the stadium for which was a carbon copy of the Brian Lima hit on Derick Hougaard during the match between South Africa against Samoa in pool play, & that through the legs pass by Carlos Spencer to Rokocoko who scored that simple crucial try which will be remembered for a long, long time that proved to be the game changer) just like the one I wrote before about the one the year before in 2023 until the final where our likely semifinal opponent will be, & it's England (The last time we met the English at a men's RWC, it was in 2019 where we narrowly missed out on a win in Yokohama therefore ruining our big chance for the threepeat in which we came close, but the AB's have never beaten England at rugby's global showpiece event since 1999 during the pool stages).
And secondly the latest in Formula One as McLaren's chances of a favourable result in Qatar have been butchered when they allowed Red Bull's Max Verstappen to win meaning that the World Driver's Championship will be decided in Abu Dhabi in a 3 way battle between Max who puts his title on the line against a pair of McLaren drivers of both World Championship leader Lando Norris, & his Aussie teammate Oscar Piastri (Who thought he got a penalty in Brazil that dropped him out of championship contention, but he is out there to claim the world championship as he seeks to become the first Aussie driver to do so since Alan Jones way back in 1980, compared to Norris that he also seeks to become the first Brit to be crowned the world champion since Sir Lewis Hamilton (Who could even retire due to a form slump that sees him being put out of his misery, but it has been 1,848 days as of December 7th last year since the last time a British driver had been crowned the world champion, but will it go British in 2025 if Norris is crowned champion of the world for the first time ever? We'll soon find out post-race) in 2020, while for Verstappen as he is aiming 5 in a row in order to draw level with the late Argentinian driver of Juan Manuel Fangio (And because he is at 4 at the moment along with a Frenchman & a German), therefore that for the first time since 2010 where more than 3 drivers will challenge for the crown for which is at stake at the season ending Grand Prix at Yas Island in the UAE (A country known for its terrible but wayward human rights record, but it's similar to the IndyCar title during the CART era way back in 1996 where a trio of American drivers of Jimmy Vasser, Michael Andretti, & Al Unser Jr who have all challenged for the championship which had gone in Vasser's way where he beat the likes of both 'Mikey Mike' Andretti & "Little Al/Al Jr' Unser Jr following the conclusion of the season where he finished on a podium where Jimmy's teammate at the time of Italian Alex Zanardi who won the race to claim the rookie of the year award at Laguna Seca in Salinas, California).
And thirdly onto the music stuff that Linkin Park (Who were once on a hiatus for 7 years from 2017 where the late lead singer of Chester Bennington who tragically took his own life until the year before that both drummer Colin Brittain who replaced original member Mike Bourdon, & their astonishing female lead singer of Emily Armstrong joined the band therefore they officially reunited when they released an album called From Zero, that kick-started the Armstrong era Linkin Park, compared to the Bennington era Linkin Park where they released their albums such as from Hybrid Theory back in 2000, to One More Light also back in 2017 (The year that Chester took his own life on his good friend Chris Cornell's birthday on the 20th of July) are finally coming to New Zealand for the first time since 2013 for a one-off show in Auckland due in March with tickets being available (And they are looking forward to perform it in front of these Kiwi fans who haven't seen them since), compared to the Foo Fighters who were last in New Zealand also the year before (6 years after previously went to our shores back in 2018 with Taylor Hawkins who was tragically passed away 4 years later, in 2022) where they performed it with their drummer at the time of Josh Freese (Who got fired by the lead singer & rhythm guitarist Dave Grohl last year, until Ilan Rubin took Freese's place, similar to Metallica who announced that Robert Trujillo was going to be their new bass player back in 2003 after Jason Newsted left the band as he decided to move on 2 years earlier back in 2001 (15 years after Newsted took over from the late Cliff Burton who unfortunately took his own life in a fatal bus crash in Sweden way back in 1986 (And he would've been there should he remain alive, if both Jason Newsted or Trujillo didn't in fact replace him) for 3 shows in Auckland, Wellington & Christchurch, but I have revealed that the only thing I love reggae music is the late Bob Marley & the Wailers because of my personal fave song of mine which is 'Buffalo Soldier', & the reason why? Is Brian FM play him & his songs for that is 6 of them, with others including 'Stir it Up', 'Is This Love', 'Could You Be Loved', 'Three Little Birds', & 'Jamming' are amongst them.
And finally, the latest in the cricket as the 1st test at Hagley Oval in Christchurch between New Zealand, & the West Indies has ended in a draw, rueing missed opportunities for us, especially Justin Greaves who would end up being the not out batter by celebrating an unbeaten double hundred (And there were centuries from our Black Caps batters from Rachin Ravindra & Tom Latham, & there was one from the West Indies from Shai Hope).
So that is my 661st blog of the year 2026 (MMXXVI) & my 13th of this year, viva Ukraine.
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