Author(s): Steve Hale

Sport general

Rugby has a special place in the hearts of most Kiwis. While other sports rise in popularity, scratch any one of us and there'll be a rugby association somewhere not too far from the surface - perhaps as player, coach, spectator or mum stoically washing filthy rugby jerseys and disgusting socks. When advertisers need to appeal to a wide audience, be it about drinking, depression or baked beans, the message often comes wearing rugby boots, as professional players earning astronomical salaries crowd our television screens on a nightly basis. Despite the cynicism of recent years over commercial considerations overtaking national pride, at the grassroots level rugby players still share a particular wisdom and philosophy about life. It's a way of thinking that comes from the shared experience of being amongst the steaming backs in a scrum in the middle of winter, of rucking in a muddy paddock, and cheering till you're hoarse when your team gets one over the line. And behind every winning team there are the runners-up and an equally dedicated band of supporters, coaches, linesmen and referees who understand much about what it is to be a rugby player and a Kiwi. Steve Hale has been talking to one or two and he's come up with 28 gems as a result. See what's really going on in the sport that used to unite a nation, and can still fire up our passion. After all, it's much than a game of two halves - it's the game of our lives.