#470 - #479

Something Old

Eden Park has been in existence as a sports ground since 1900.
The Park became the home of Auckland Cricket in 1910.
The Auckland Rugby Union leased the Park in 1914 and it became the home of Auckland Rugby in 1925.
In 1926 Eden Park was put in a Trust (refer Eden Park Trust Board) that provided for the Trustees to manage the Park primarily for the benefit of Auckland Cricket and Rugby. The Trust has done so to this day but the Park has also hosted other community events.
During the past 105 years Eden Park has been the host to many memorable sporting occasions including:

Cricket
The first international between Auckland and Australia in 1914
The regular venue for test matches from 1952
New Zealand Crickets first ever series win against the West Indies in 1957
Four memorable games from the Cricket World Cup that was jointly hosted with Australia in 1992
The first international 20/20 match against Australia in 2005
Rugby
The first rugby international in 1921 between New Zealand and South Africa
The regular venue for test matches from 1930
New Zealand defeated the all conquering Springboks in 1956 for a series clinching win
The final of the inaugural Rugby World Cup in 1987 (in which New Zealand defeated France)
Other community events included:
Athletics
1950’s saw the Auckland Schools’ Champion of Champions compete at the Park
1950 British Empire (now Commonwealth) Games
1961 - 63 Agfa International Meetings that saw New Zealand’s Olympic champions compete against the world’s best between the Rome and Tokyo Olympics.
2005 New Zealand challenges Australia over a mile during the interval at one Day Cricket International between the two countries
Royal Tours
1966 The Queen Mother
1970 The Queen
1983 The Prince and Princess of Wales
VIP Visits
2002 Dalai Lama
Concerts
The David Cassidy concert in 1974 was moved to Town Hall because of the threat of rain.
Today Eden Park with a capacity of 48,000 remains the Home of Auckland Cricket and Rugby providing the venue for international events for the Auckland region.


#471. Something New

Eden Park is to get a "face-lift at a cost of $320 million !!! They expect Auckland ratepayers to dig deep to pay for the bulk of the cost, but..........!!! Only time will tell. It is supposed to be ready in time for the World Cup in 2011, but if ratepayers did their toes in and anything else they can as well as protest, protest, protest.....???

#472. Something Borrowed

An email I received.............

Kia Ora Kelvin

Thanks for the advice. I've just started in the blogging community and i guess that I just havent found the topics that flow freely from my mind and soul. I think that i'm too distracted by trying to get people to visit my blog, that i dont write freely - know what i mean?

Anyways, i just gotta say to you and the rest of the the people from NZ, that you guys do indeed have the better rugby team. South Africa is currently on a losing streak - rugby, soccer and cricket!

Thanks alot for the advice
Cheers
Delon
South Africa

KK footnote - Delon, I think you spoke to soon............

#473. Something Blue

Bugger !!! That's the word that "springs" to mind as the "Springboks" sprung a surprise on the All Blacks beating them 21 to 20. Good on you South Africa, you finally broke the golden run of 15 games not out, that the All Blacks had. They went into the game, thinking they had 16th straight win coming up, but ..........!!! (hehe) They will have all the time in the world to make up excuses as they fly home, but none will hold any water or beer as no doubt, the "superior" team on the day............won !!!

#474. Royal Bafokeng Stadium

The match between the Springboks & All Blacks was played at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium in Phokeng near Rustenburg. It is not your typical rugby country, but a rural mining country. The Royal Bafokeng occupy an area of some 2 000 km2 in the North West province, approximately 200 km west of Pretoria. The Royal Bafokeng are members of the Setswana-speaking indigenous community and rose to some prominence during the 1980s when they demanded compensation and royalties from mining companies who were mining platinum in the area. The world's largest platinum reserves are to be found here and the agreement reached between the mining companies and the Royal Bafokeng Administration has resulted in the Bafokeng receiving considerable amounts in compensation payments and annual royalties.

#475. The Bafokeng People

The present Kgosi (Setswana for King) is Leruo Molotlegi, the 36th recorded Bafokeng king. His father, Lebone Molotlegi II (on the throne between 1996 and 1999) was the designer of the current flag of the Royal Bafokeng Administration, the traditional authority responsible for administration in the area. The flag was designed in 1995 and comprises three horizontal stripes of light green, light blue and beige, with the Bafokeng logo in the centre. The green symbolizes the algae found in the water in the area and is a reference to the everlasting nature of the Bafokeng kingship. The blue symbolizes water and the source of life for the community while the beige represents the sand found in the rivers. For the Bafokeng, algae represents a blanket and the sand, a mattress.
The logo of the Bafokeng is a modern representation of the Bafokeng totem, the crocodile, hence the symbolism of water in the flag as a whole. The crocodile of peace has long been the recognized totem of the Bafokeng people. A statue at the royal residence at Legato depicts the crocodile of peace and, having a short tail and only two legs, is representative of a human being. The short tail, and closed mouth, also emphasizes non-aggression as the Bafokeng people believe that a long tail would imply aggressiveness. The posture of the crocodile denotes movement towards water, which the Bafokeng believe to be a sign of contentment. This results in a common expression, used at meetings, "A e wele mo Metsing", which literally translated means "Let there be peace".

#476. Currently Reading

Ever now and again, I surprise not only myself but friends as well when I join in their chatter about "rugby", even though I don't follow it. My bum has never ever grace the seats at Eden Park and never will !!!

I read the sports page of the newspaper and ........interesting. Especially the article about the 25th reunion dinner of the former 1981 Springboks team which toured NZ in 1981. All 28 members of the squad were meeting up for dinner, a few beers, a braai (barbeque) some golf and a trip to Rustenburg to watch their countrymen play the All Blacks.

Wynand Claassen, the captain of the 1981 team, now head of rugby at the University of Pretoria, recalls the tour which resulted in anti-aparthied protests.

#477. H.A.R.T !!!

Halt All Racist Tours was a group set up in New Zealand in 1969 to protest rugby union tours to and from Apartheid South Africa
Up until 1970, South Africa refused to allow mixed-race sports team to tour South Africa, and they were "disgusted" at having to play against "natives" in New Zealand.. A protest movement against the 1960 tour of South Africa used the slogan "No Maoris, No Tour", but it was unsuccessful at stopping the tour. In 1967, the New Zealand Rugby Union decided to cancel the proposed 1967 tour over the issue.
Trevor Richards, Tom Newnham, John Minto and others formed HART in 1969 to protest against the proposed 1970 tour. The tour went ahead after the South Africans agreed to accept a mixed-race team.
In 1973, HART promised a campaign of civil disruption if the Springboks toured New Zealand. The Labour Prime Minister, Norman Kirk cancelled the tour. Rugby supporters complained that politics should not interfere in sport.
The All Blacks were next due to tour South Africa in 1976. Newly elected National Prime Minister Robert Muldoon refused to cancel the tour, which went ahead, in spite of the (then draft) Gleneagles Agreement where Commonwealth leaders agreed to discourage sporting contact with South Africa. 21 African nations boycotted the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal in protest.
HART merged with the National Anti-Apartheid Council in 1980 to become HART: NAAM. After ten years as National Chairperson, Richards was replaced by John Minto.
The high point of protest was around the 1981 Springbok Tour in which thousands of New Zealanders protested, invaded pitches and ended the tour. HART was not the leading body in these protests, as broader organisations were set up in each major centre to coordinate protests, but HART members played a leading role in these organisations.
In 1985, a planned All Black tour of South Africa was stopped by the New Zealand High Court after two lawyers sued the NZRFU, claiming such a tour would breach the NZRFU's constitution. An unofficial tour did take place in 1986 by a team including some but not the majority of All Blacks players. These were known outside South Africa as the Cavaliers, but advertised inside the Republic as the All Blacks. HART organised nationwide protests, but they were much smaller than the 1981 protests.
HART's reason for existence ended with the fall of apartheid.

#478. Another Trevor Richards !!!

OMAHA, Neb. -- Four Westside High School students are suspended for promoting a white student for an African-American award. More than 150 flyers which were distributed throughout the school featured junior Trevor Richard, a South African native who moved to the United States in 1997.
Westside officials say the flyers were were quickly removed because they were inappropriate and insensitive to black students. Trevor said he is as African as anyone else. "I had no intent of hurting anyone or offending anyone. I wasn't trying to make a statement. I was just running for the award, but i guess the administration felt differently," Richards said. Richards was suspended for two days. Two other students were disciplined for putting up the posters and another student was punished for starting a petition to promote Richards

#479. Why the tour meant so much !!!

From New Zealand’s first fullscale international test in 1903 to the arrival of the Springbok team in 1981, the All Blacks had established themselves as arguably the best rugby team in the world. Arguably because the Springboks were the only team that had beaten the All Blacks more times than lost. The margin between the Springboks and the other international teams was huge.Between 1903 and 1981 the All Blacks had beaten Australia in 50 tests, lost 17, and drawn 4. They had beaten Wales in 8 tests and lost 3; beaten France in 12 and lost 4; beaten England in 9 and lost 2; beaten Scotland in 10 and drawn 1; and beaten Ireland in 8 and lost 1.
South Africa was the All Black nemesis. Before the 1981 series the Springboks had met the All Blacks in 34 tests, of which they had won 19. The All Blacks had won 13, and two had been drawn.
The last two test series, in 1970 and 1976 (both in South Africa) had been won by the Springboks by three tests to one.

I'll be back............