The anticipated victory of All Blacks at the Rugby World Cup 2011 Final at Eden Park on October 23 heralded a season of celebration for the entire Nation. In bringing home the coveted Webb Ellis Cup after 24 frustrating years of tries and disappointment, Richie McCaw and his team ended the jinx that New Zealand would find it hard to beat anyone in the Final game.
For millions of people in New Zealand and around the world, it was a victory well-deserved, not just because New Zealand deserved a smiling phase after a year of tragedies and downturns, but because we had a team that was talented, dedicated, focused and most important of all humble. As McCaw said following the victory, “The people have been outstanding in support of this team and of this Rugby World Cup. I am so proud to be a New Zealander standing there.”
Indeed unlike any other game, Rugby has the ability to unite the Nation, raise hopes against despair and bring together people in a festive mood. For more than six weeks since the kick-off at Eden Park on September 9, every New Zealander wished our team to win, beating some of the best in the world.
Prime Minister John Key echoed the sentiments of our people when he said that the All Blacks achieved the ultimate in World Rugby and that it was an attainment built on courage, determination, grit and great teamwork.
As he rightly mentioned, New Zealanders hold high such values.
Opposition Leader Phil Goff said the All Blacks were great ambassadors for Rugby and for New Zealand.
Before the euphoria wanes and New Zealanders get back to their routine, we must remind ourselves of the fact that the victory did not belong to the Rugby team alone. It was an achievement for many, including the International Rugby Board, the New Zealand Rugby Union, The Federal and Local Governments, the New Zealand Police and hundreds of volunteers who worked hard to make the Tournament trouble free. That the six-week Rugby World Cup matches were sans any untoward incident is a tribute to us as a Nation.
As the All Blacks, their Coach, officials and others involved in the Tournament go into their well-deserved break, we as people should break away from the ‘holiday’ that we have enjoyed and concentrate on larger issues that confront the nation, the most important of which is increasing productivity. If the economy is to be strengthened and brought back to growth, it is imperative that we set aside our political and other differences and work towards the common goal.
