All Aboard the Bandwagon
I’ll be the first to admit it, being American, I am totally Rugby ignorant. Let’s face it, the USA team doesn’t hold a candle to the World Cup, they just show up for good looks and party potential. One would assume that part of the cultural immersion into New Zealand includes a complete break down of the game of Rugby. I personally wish that someone at the Customs border HAD stopped me for five minutes and briefed me on the basics.
Either way, all of the recent Rugby thrill has definitely sparked something inside of me. I’ve discovered the beauty of thirty jacked brawny men running around in tight jerseys and…ermm…achieving epic athletic heights and “scoring mean tries!” Honestly though, hasn’t the buzz around Auckland grabbed everyone by the heart and turned us all into crazed All Blacks fanatics?
A “bandwagon fan” is defined as “anyone who claims they are a "fan" of a particular sports team, even though they had no prior support for/interest in the team until that team started winning. These types of fans only show playoff interest, have probably never watched a regular season game, don't own any type of team merchandise, nor would they buy any” (Thanks Urban Dictionary).
This is exactly the type of All Blacks fan I am. To be quite honest, I’m a bandwagon rugby fan…but come on, where would we be without our bandwagon fans? There’s certainly something to be said for the tried and true; the ones who still have the 1987 Rugby World Cup jerseys hanging about their beds, but the bandwagon fans are what make everything so exciting! We may not have an archive of Rugby statistics stored in our knowledge vault, but we sure as heck know how to yell and cheer when our precious All Blacks score a try! With all of the die hard fans packing the Rugby stadiums, who would keep the streets and bars buzzing? That’s right—bandwagon fans.
I am proud to be a bandwagon All Blacks fan! Hell, it beats cheering for the Wallabies doesn’t it? This issue is chalk full of Rugby fun! Whether you’re down to party, or brush up on some of your Rugby facts, we’ve got it all! This is an exciting time for New Zealand, so soak up the thrill!! GO ALL BLACKS!! In celebration of the All Blacks and Rugby World Cup we’ve “Blacked Out” the entire issue! This is just another way of displaying our undying love for the boys in black! To join in on the Black Out hype, come dressed in all black to the USU BBQ this Wednesday in the HUB. There will be face painting, games, photo walls, and competitions! See you there!