Half way through pool play at the 2011 Rugby World Cup followers throughout New Zealand have been treated to a carnival like atmosphere. Overseas media reports have heaped praise on the New Zealand public for turning out in support of other nations with attendance rates high at games not featuring the All Blacks.
But the tournament has not been without controversy and surprising animosity. Some Australia supporters have been on the end of excessive trans Tasman rivalry, with a number of New Zealanders hurling abuse at supporters of the team they least want to win the cup.
Wallaby fan Phil Dunne told the New Zealand Herald that some supporters had crossed the line.
Mr Dunne and his wife had been at the receiving end of some vicious verbal attacks.
The animosity displayed by some New Zealanders “is so entrenched at this World Cup that most Kiwis don’t even realise how hostile they actually are”, he said.
Although not representing the majority, the behaviour has alarmed many.
Victoria University associate professor of Psychology, Marc Wilson, told the Herald New Zealanders are driven by insecurities and are feeling “deeply, pathologically and perversely,” about the World Cup.
He said “New Zealand is no different from any other country in the world … we associate with things that make us feel positive about ourselves.”
Controversy has arisen over the naming of the French team to play the All Blacks at Auckland’s Eden Park on Saturday night.
Instead of naming a full strength side, French coach Marc Lievremont has excluded many of their stars in a bid, some say, to lose the match and have an easier road to the final, facing either Ireland or England, instead of Australia or South Africa.
The sell-out 60,000 strong crowd has been anticipating the first big challenge for the All Blacks in the World Cup, especially with France causing the demise of the All Blacks previous two World Cup bids.
“It’s wrong … but we’ll beat them where it counts—in the final,” All Black fan Gregg Thorpe told the Herald.
