Nude Blacks provide perfect pre rugby entertainment in Dunedin
Saturday 19 June 2010, 4:46PM
By Tourism Dunedin
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Dunedin’s Nude Rugby International took place this afternoon between the Nude Blacks and the Welsh Leeks in the lead up to the last All Black test match at Carisbrook.
Fourteen naked players competed in front of a curious crowd of 300 at Logan Park, in the shadows of the under construction fixed roofed stadium Forsyth Barr Stadium at University Plaza.
Event organiser Ralph Davies from Head first Travel said “Unfortunately, the weather was fine for the game.”
"We prefer Antarctic southerlies and about three degrees just to challenge the players a bit," he said.
The match between ‘The Nude Blacks’ and an international team was refereed by Former All Blacks Richard Loe and John Timu Past referees have included ex All Black Josh Kronfeld and a blind referee.
As with most years there was the obligatory fully clothed streaker who was escorted from the field by a nude policewoman.
All Black Adam Thomson describes Dunedin as “a rugby-mad city”. He said “It’s electric down here. When a [rugby] test is on Dunedin really gets behind it... the atmosphere really builds as you get closer to the test”.
Later on today the All Blacks will meet Wales who will be playing their first and final test at Carisbrook, aptly known as ‘The House of Pain’. It is set to be replaced by New Zealand’s first roofed stadium in time for the 2011 rugby event.
Mr Davies says “2010 maybe the last rugby test at Carisbrook but we are planning on continuing this famous fixture and are looking at the 2011 tournament already.”
“We do not have much knowledge of Georgia but we know what the Scots wear under their kilts so we can expect an interesting match-up for this fixture” says Mr Davies in reference to the first Dunedin match at the 2011 tournament.
The Nude Rugby International started as a celebration of New Zealand’s national nude day. The event is organised by Headfirst Travel, who specialise in South Island and rugby tours.
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