Road, rugby and rain…

Late last week we (temporarily) lost one of our girls to the whirlwind that is the nationwide Telecom BackingBlack Travelling Headquarters tour (hereby referred to as BackingBlack Travelling HQ).

Jumping up, down and around the country, following the All Blacks games, the BackingBlack Travelling HQ is the official All Blacks fan club on the road.

Lysh has literally jumped on the bandwagon, and is travelling the country with the BackingBlack team, rallying up general excitement and good feeling around the country.

Work? Or a road trip? Bit of both perhaps…Either way, it sounds like fun, and back in the office we’re struggling not to feel jealous!

We’re told that activities in the first three stops – Kaitaia, Hamilton and New Plymouth – were interspersed by intervals of torrential rain, but that it was all good fun anyway (not least due to appearances by former All Blacks, especially for Lysh who’s an All Black nutter).

Besides, apparently slippery surfaces make for hilarious falls when you’re trying to knock your mates down in a giant bouncy tunnel…see why we’re jealous now?

Kicking off the kick-off in the best way…

….with cake, of course!

Screams of delight echoed through the office this morning as a more-superhero-than-delivery man breezed into the office, adorned with a giant Samoan flag and holding a very exciting-looking parcel.

Any box decorated with a ‘The Cake Stall’ sticker is certain to be well received in an office full of sugar-addicted women (some more than others, mind).

The box was ripped open, in the typically unsophisticated manner that the pr shop ladies act when in private, and we were thrilled to see the cake was made to an appropriate theme – rugby, of course.

Cakes are just the start. It feels like Christmas in Auckland City today, doesn’t it? Kids wearing top-to-toe black clothing and face paint are yelling ‘GO THE ALL BLACKS!!’ to passing cars outside our office, there’s bunting everywhere and even we’ve leaped on the band wagon, filling our front window with flags and balloons.

Needless to say, it’s an exciting day for Kiwis today. Even those of us who are…ahem…less rugby mad (that’s almost blasphemy to say at the moment, isn’t it?) can’t help but feel the tingle of excitement and anticipation with such festivities.

Hey! Any excuse to celebrate, right? Especially when it comes with cake.

Happy Rugby World Cup opening everyone!