Blogging rugby

It's been nearly four years since I started blogging. I had just returned from a seven year stint in the UK and was frustrated at the level of sports reporting in NZ. Particularly the fact that women hardly get a look in on the sports pages when it comes to sports journalism. With the 2007 rugby world cup looming, I thought it would be a good idea to have a go myself on the sport that I am most ardent about and the team that I love - the All Blacks.

A few interesting things to note in that time since I've started this blog:

• I've endured yet ANOTHER world cup loss for my team, and lived to tell the tale
• I've sung the national anthem for an All Black test match
• I had a former All Black help put up the marquee for my wedding (Keiran Crowley). I decided this was a very good omen for my future married life.
• I have a loyal readership of three people on this blog and one of those people is my mother (and quite often even she doesn't read it)
• Most people that visit this blog do so accidentally. They mainly come from Ireland and have typed 'Doug Howlett' into a search engine. Although it frustrates me that people are not coming to read my rants on rugby I still appreciate them visiting so for some SOE: doug howlett, doug howlett, doug howlett
• The best insult I've had on this blog was from a random commenter who likened me to a sheep shagger because I had been mean to Irish captain Brian O'Driscoll
• I have often had to change my opinions about things and eat my words. Currently Piri Weepu is someone I am eating humble pie about. For a long time I didn't like him as a player but I've had a complete turnaround not just based on his last few performances for the ABs but also because I think he is becoming an inspirational role model for kids in this country through his conduct off the field.
• Several All Blacks have been arrested or gone to court since I started blogging and a large part of this blog for me is saying 'it's not ok' to hurt your girlfriend by assault or beat up a friend in a pub. This kind of thing has to stop. It's not good to have someone representing your country who is basically just a mindless thug off the field
• My longest serving reader and now friend is a fellow ruggerblogger called Nursedude. Please check his blog out here

Why all this sentimental revisiting the past you might ask? Well, it's a bit of an end of an era for me because I'm packing up my bags again and heading to live in London for the next year on Wednesday.

This means ruggerblogger will take a different turn. I'm going to start blogging with some friends (more to come about this so watch this space) and so we can give both northern hemisphere and southern hemisphere perspectives on this blog (but still at this address). Hopefully this will mean I can pull more readers in and this blog will have some more lighthearted postings.

So here's to thet build up for 2011. I'll be back in NZ in time for the tournament. Please keep with me and tell your friends about this blog if you think anyone might be interested in a stroppy girl with loud opinions about rugby. Here's to the next year together.