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Kiwis 'losing their religion'
By Josh Massoud
August 16, 2007
RUGBY-obsessed Kiwis are "losing their religion" thanks to a flighty temptress known as New Zealand Warriors.
With just three weeks remaining before the Rugby World Cup, New Zealanders are deserting their beloved 15-man game in favour of the resurgent Warriors.
After toying with a nation's hearts and minds for more than a decade, the NRL's most-enigmatic outfit finally appears to be winning both after an unprecedented cross-code victory last weekend.
In a first for Auckland, the Warriors-Gold Coast fixture last Saturday easily outdrew the marquee clash of New Zealand's national provincial rugby competition.
Normally guaranteed to generate a handsome gate, the derby between Auckland and Air New Zealand Cup champion Waikato drew only 13,559 fans to Eden Park. Across town at Mt Smart Stadium, 20,609 supporters watched the Warriors romp closer to a top-four birth.
Only two hours separated the kick-offs, and ticket prices were comparable.
But it's not only in terraces where died-in-the-wool New Zealand rugby devotees are feeling sheepish. In lounge rooms across the Shaky Isles, the Warriors outrated their rugby rivals by 2:1 on SkySports.
According to AGB Neilsen Media, 117,600 people watched the rugby at 5.30pm. Kicking off at 7.30pm, the league then scored a knockout win with 182,200 viewers.
The astonishing victory for league has left sports experts aghast.
Veteran radio and television commentator Murray Deaker said the Warriors were benefiting from "disenchantment" among rusted-on rugby fans.
Deaker, who plugs into 15 hours of radio talkback sentiment every week, reported that Kiwi punters were finding rugby "as boring as old boots" because of rule interpretations.
"Rugby used to be a religion, and it probably will be like that again when the World Cup comes around," Deaker, a former provincial rugby player, said.
"But people are disenchanted by the rules in rugby. At the breakdown the referee blows his whistle and no one knows what he is going to do.
"The new scrum engagement rules mean the teams have a chat, and a cup of tea before packing down. It's boring as old boots.
"The whole year has been dedicated to the World Cup. There were 10 All Blacks rested on the weekend. That's not what people want to see.
"On the other hand, there's a lot of good league being played."
TVNZ sports anchor Tony Veitch agreed, adding that the All Blacks' "obsession with winning the World Cup" had created a backlash.
"If we don't win the World Cup, rugby will be in big trouble in New Zealand," Veitch continued.
"The fans have had a love-hate relationship with the Warriors for a long time, but league is winning hands down at the moment.
"I was down at a ski resort in the middle of the North Island (on Saturday) and about 40 people came into the bar wanting to reserve a spot to watch the league. There might have been one or two watching the rugby. That's unheard of."
Warriors chief executive Wayne Scurrah had desperately sought to avoid a scheduling clash with the traditional Air New Zealand Cup blockbuster.
"Historically any (rugby) game played in Auckland on the same night, we would anticipate half their crowd," Scurrah said.
"This was the only weekend we couldn't get it right with the NRL and we were expecting about 12,000."
With more than 21,000 tickets already pre-sold for the Warriors' final home game against Manly in round 24, league's revival is only getting stronger.
"That looks like it will be our first 27,000 sell-out ... ever," Scurrah said.
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