Guy's World: Party Politics At The Sevens

“If you’re against apartheid, join us!” was the hopeful cry of one protester taking a stand against the Government allowing Fiji to compete in the World Sevens Series tournament at the WestpacTrust Stadium yesterday.

Full marks for effort, but the odds of any of the thousands of ticket holders swarming into the stadium joining the 50-odd protestors putting up the good fight were remote at best.

“If you’re against apartheid, join us!”

If the cliché fits…

Not that there wasn’t sympathy for their cause – the consensus among rugby goers I spoke to was that the unelected regime in Fiji is a travesty, and most supported the stadium protest, but they were here to party, not protest.

“I say good on them,” said Frank Sligo, on his way in. “I think this is an ideal opportunity for them to express their point of view.”

Mr Sligo agreed sports and politics are intertwined, but didn’t see it as New Zealand’s job to force Fiji’s hand. “Democracy is the goal, but they have to find their own way of getting there,” he said.

Dilap Parag was less ambiguous. “They should be allowed to play,” he said. “Let sports people get on with sports and politicians get on with politics.”

Dilap’s cousin Jagdip Parag, however, was for the protests. “If you have to use sports for leverage you should do.” With that, Jagdip and Dilap rushed in to catch the New Zealand Fiji quarterfinal, which had just started.

Dilap and Jagdip

A banner inside the Stadium read “Bugger you Helen and Phil – Fiji is the Sevens.” True enough, and exactly the reason why denying the Fiji team visas to compete in New Zealand would have hurt.

As things turned out, captain Karl Te Nana and the Kiwis could have used a bit of help from cabinet. Fiji knocked New Zealand out of the competition in the quarterfinal, with a try coming from a pass that appeared to be very forward, from where I was sitting, snatching the lead New Zealand had secured with a stunning hat-trick of tries to Donovan Nepia. A trademark storming run From Jonah Lomu on the full-time whistle was held up just before the line, leaving the scoreboard at 19-17 to Fiji.

The hyped crowd was briefly stunned, but was soon back into form – the Sevens is as much about drinking beer, wearing a silly wig and taking your shirt off as it is about sport.

The best way to attract the attention of cameras (pictures were broadcast on the big screen) is to form a group all wearing the same outfit, and do a dance. The dance can be as uncoordinated as you like, but is most effective when performed in unison.

Perennial favourites were the dancing Mormons (men in black suits and ties – I think they’re Mormons) who had a superbly choreographed routine they brought to the aisles time and time again.

The sponsors, cottoning on the group concept, sent a posse of Vegas jumpsuit era Elvi (Elvises) around the stadium bouncing a giant ball with the sponsor’s logo into the crowd. Later on, the Village People’s YMCA, pumping over the sound system, brought the whole crowd together into one semi-coordinated group.

There were two notable exceptions to the group rule. Gorgeous girls, preferably stacked and without much on, got a lot of camera attention, and usually responded by shaking their money makers. And a lone Austin Powers in a corporate box had some very sexy steps, to the roaring delight of the crowd. You’re a tiger baby, you’re a lemur, you’re a meerkat…

Japan knew how to party, and when they’d played all their games, they hyped the crowd with what appeared to be a comical, Sumo inspired Haka. It was so fun and easy, the crowd joined in.

Without a national team left in the competition to cheer for, the crowd was left with the next best thing: cheering the underdog and booing Australia, South Africa and England.

So the crowd took Japan, China, Niue, and the U.S.A. to their hearts. U.S.A. played exceptionally well to beat Fiji in the pools, and their win over Canada in the quarterfinals was hugely popular. The U.S.A. chant was infectious, their victory song Born in the U.S.A. stirring. No WestpacTrust stadium crowd ever backed a side more passionately than when U.S.A. faced Australia in the Semis. The U.S.A. chant was constant, the boos for the endless stream of Aussie tries deafening. Sadly, U.S.A. received the ass whipping that had been coming to them all tournament.

The sky turned purple at twilight

The final between Fiji and Australia divided loyalties. Australia were the underdogs, but they were still Australia. But then, Fiji represented a country governed by a racist regime, and they took New Zealand out. They shouldn’t even be here!

Fiji seemed hell bent on breaking Aussie necks with their vigorous head high tackling, which eventually reduced them to six players, with Rubeni Caucau sent off. While Aussie tries still elicited significant booing, the Aussie Aussie Oi Oi Oi, chant was strengthening. Neither winner was ideal, but most seemed to find Australia preferable. The Aussies finally got a well deserved, wholehearted cheer when Julian Huxley converted a Willie Gordon try on full time to take the final.

Much to the relief, no doubt, of Helen, Trevor and Phil.

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