NZ Schools article

Just been reading the following article on the BBC, i thought it was pretty good!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/bendirs/2011/09/chasing_the_all_black_dream.html

What do you lot think?

i think if the any of the home nations want to ever consistantly challenge at the top table then they ned to pay more attention at improving the standard of their own domestic competitions rather than looking to AB surplus players,

although the article shows why they are consistantly the number one team in the world

It's a lovely article and shows why New Zealand never lose the Junior world Cup tournament, but in the Uk we have far more for our children to do, and distract them.

We like to drink too, but the weather is much colder and we have far more sports that potential athletes can compete in, football, cricket, rugby league, New Zealand is known for it's rugby and rugby only, but England competes at high levels across many sports. Most British children want to be Wayne Rooney, not Martin Johnson.

The 3 Nations dominance is already starting to wane, they were professional in all but name during the late 80's and early 90s and they stole a march.
Wales and New Zealand have already started to fall off the pace in terms of competing for wages and in New Zealands case their players are leaving in droves, we already have cases of French, Irish, English and Australian Rugby League clubs targeting their young players before they even make it to Provincial level.
This will only get worse as wages rocket and smaller countries simply find themselves unable to compete.

Remember we only have 4 million as well.
We do play other sports. We are world rugby league champs and four nations champs.
Our warriors team is playing this sat. Night for a spot in the nrl grand final.
Our football team was the only team not to lose a match on the world cup (he he).
Our basketball team is one of the best in the world so its not just union.
The biggest drain on our rugby players is actually the nrl. The NH get our aged and the nrl get our kids. But yes. Rugby is certainly king.
Oh and we do drink and have xbox as well.

Taylorman wrote:Remember we only have 4 million as well.
We do play other sports. We are world rugby league champs and four nations champs.
Our warriors team is playing this sat. Night for a spot in the nrl grand final.
Our football team was the only team not to lose a match on the world cup (he he).
Our basketball team is one of the best in the world so its not just union.
The biggest drain on our rugby players is actually the nrl. The NH get our aged and the nrl get our kids. But yes. Rugby is certainly king.
Oh and we do drink and have xbox as well.

True enough Taylorman - except that the average Kiwi drinks half as much booze compared to the average Brit.

Oops, it appears the figures have changed since I read that figure - see here. The average Kiwi drinks 3/4s as much as the average Brit ... (NZ's consumption used to be under 8 litres per person per year).
So the Rugby World Cup of alcohol consumption reads:
1) Russia 15.6 litres per person per year
2) Romania 15.13
3) Ireland 14.41
4) France 13.66 (lots of wine)
5=) England/Wales/Scotland 13.37
8) Italy 10.68
9) Australia 10.02
10) Argentina 10.00
11) Canada 9.77
12=) NZ/Namibia 9.62
14) South Africa 9.46
15) Japan 8.03
16) Georgia 6.40
17) Samoa 4.80
18) Tonga 3.78
19) Fiji 2.43
20) USA 9.42




I've posted that earlier stat a few times, based on an article I read last year, apologies anyone I've mislead .

The WHO has massively revised the Moldovan figure downwards too

But we did lead the world in google searches when Scarlet Johanssens nude photos story broke. Does that count?

Fascinating article. Interested that you guys still have woodwork classes! Wish more of our schools taught basic hand skills.

Most of our local schools are very much media and arts based.

None of the state schools promote rugby and none of the parents want their little Johnny coming home with boo boos anyway. It's all kiss ball unfortunately.

It's mostly up to the Chiefs and the private schools of Exeter to keep it going now.

Cracked up when I read Carpe Diem's comment about hand skills was straight after Taylorman's Scarlett Johanssen tidbit

Totally understandable though. Boy is she mint. Also has been known to sport a curled coiffe, which of course would excite the large sheep farming population...

Kiwireddevil wrote:True enough Taylorman - except that the average Kiwi drinks half as much booze compared to the average Brit.

Oops, it appears the figures have changed since I read that figure - see here. The average Kiwi drinks 3/4s as much as the average Brit ... (NZ's consumption used to be under 8 litres per person per year).

Jesus Zac Guilford really did get through a lot that night didnt he

It's interesting to compare the comments about the size of the Kiwi lads (10 stone dripping wet) to the comments from England's attack coach about basically wanting a big 12. Maybe one day England will earn that size isn't everything (when it comes to inside centres).

Great article,I could tell you of one major tour when the All Blacks lost a tour
they should have won.Down to the off field work load,of talks,opening fetes,going to functions,plus loads of drink and birds.
A Coach whose idea of training was a 2o mile circuit run before Breakfast,and tactical training and skills zilch.He inherited a team with a
impeccable record 5 losses in a decade.
I leave it to you to work out the details.

30 years ago I was at an ordinary comprehensive school in Wales. We had a very successful rugby team and an attitude similar to the one expressed in the article. That attitude doesn't exist any more and that's the reason our national team has been average for years.