"Stoked."

We're a simple people. New Zealanders are rare to show emotion, quick to do a job that needs doing and always ones 'to get in behind our boys'. Well, tonight they finally did it. We won. After twenty four long years finally the William Webb Ellis cup is back in New Zealand hands. As soon as 80.00 minutes came up on the clock a unanimous sigh of relief was heard throughout New Zealand. Everyone has been invested in this tournament and everyone has been thinking that this is our year

I didn't cry when we won. I just had a small smile on my face. A little bit reminiscent of the one that Richie McCaw had on his. You don't really need to shout out or scream when you're 'stoked' sometimes a smile does the trick. I must admit that I just love Richies true blue attitude upon winning the cup. 'I'm absolutely shagged'. It's been a long time coming. Almost every year we've come into the world cup as the team to beat with the ominous 'favourites' name tag. To be honest we tend to choke. The pressure gets too much for our boys, they make elementary errors and underestimate their opposition. 2007 Quarter Final versus France lest we forget. I think that only just now it's starting to sink in. New Zealand... little old kiwiland are number one at something for the next four years. Even though we've only got four million people we've managed to rise up and take down the superpowers.

You've got to realise something about rugby. It's not just a game. That's what the cynical haters always say followed by 'eh who cares?' The thing about rugby though is that it gives everyone a moral boost. It's a way that we can win one of the little battles even if we may lose the war. It just gives people a reason to feel good to be in New Zealand. That morale is even more important in NZ at the moment what with the pike river disaster and the Christchurch earthquakes hardly even being able to be seen as a memory. We needed something to tell everyone to keep on going. Keep on trying and eventually everything will turn out fine. Our boys kept on fighting and now they've finally done it.

So I wanna say cheers Richie and the boys for making New Zealanders feel proud!

Kiwis have two typical words to describe their emotions; gutted and stoked. Luckily tonight I can use the later.

3 Good Things
*Watching the celebrations on Courtney place. These included: an improvised haka in the middle of the road by a couple of maori guys... although some trannies joined in too... A jubilant raving circle in the middle of the street of 'All Blacks cha cha cha' and the sight of the whole of courtney place covered in black and white. I felt for the poor French people. When I saw some dejected french supporters walking home I even called out 'allez le bleu' to make them feel better.
*Going out for a couple of beers with my brother after the match. V interesting to hang out with 24 year olds. Surprisingly they're not that different from 18 year olds... Oh and lol the surprise when people thought that I was ever so much older...
*Inventing a new delicious slice! TBC it's called a honey roasted peanut slice and it was tasty :D

AFTER DINNER MINT: from the TIMES website
"New Zealand Wins Rugby's World Cup--And Order In The Universe Is Restored."