Crusaders follow the Cricket World Cup action in Johannesburg. Photo / Instagram
Crusaders follow the Cricket World Cup action in Johannesburg. Photo / Instagram
1 The Black Caps are through to the final at the MCG. Phew! Now four million people collectively have their fingers crossed for Sunday. And Victoria hasn't been this popular for a Kiwi sports star since Phar Lap raced at Flemington and won the Melbourne Cup, circa 1930.
2 The weather has been spectacular. Mostly. Except when it rained on Tuesday and the players and the officials said "sod this" and ran inside. And Hilary Barry had to pull on her purple parka.
3 Kiwis around the world united in national pride. The Crusaders huddled around a van after training in Johannesburg on Tuesday to tune into radio coverage.
4
The players haven't been afraid to grow a good beard or moustache.
Comedian Leigh Hart boarded the Gatorade trolley on the field and shared a joke with Grant Elliott, and an overzealous ICC pulled the plug on the brilliantly clever Alternative Cricket Commentary - thankfully only temporarily.
7 Catching a six in the stand netted cash. The Tui Catch-a-Million marketing scheme has been a huge success. Currently seven people will share $750,000 but may get a $35,715 bonus if the Kiwis win the World Cup.
8 Work productivity was down and bosses weren't bothered. Sunday's match in Australia will force all DIY projects to go on hold and all BBQs to be positioned within TV viewing distance.
9 Brendon McCullum and the Black Caps have been so humble, hard-working and endearing to the Kiwi spirit. We feel proud and positive and we're right behind our boys.
Dan Carter and his Crusaders teammates visited a Johannesburg lion park yesterday where they got up close and personal with the felines.
Carter received a curious sniff from a cheetah, while Ryan Crotty copped a pat with a docile lioness who napped through her one-on-one time with the footy player.
Doesn't she know who he is? The Bulls certainly do. The South African franchise play the Crusaders in Pretoria on Sunday morning.
Mr & Mrs E both real Kiwi sports
She is a former personal trainer at a Wellington health club, and Marlies Elliott - who has a black belt in taekwondo - is backing her man and our national cricket hero Grant Elliott as he and the Black Caps prepare for the World Cup final.
Marlies, who came from the Netherlands nearly a decade ago, married the cricketer in 2009. The couple have a son called Zion and a 3-month-old baby.
But the cricketer, affectionately nicknamed "Shunt" or the "Hairy Javelin", isn't the only one in the family batting for his adopted country.
Marlies received her second-dan black belt in New Zealand and went on to represent this country at the Taekwondo World Championships in Cairo in 2009.
Marlies and Grant Elliott are both New Zealand sports reps.
They're passionate environmentalists and believe in a greener future for their kids. They're also our new favourite immigrant sporting couple and we couldn't be more proud to take them into our hearts.
Kiwi mag's Kylie cover gets it in Kardashian mix
They are the most famous reality show family in the world, but the reality that his local magazine Remix will feature on an upcoming episode of Keeping Up with the Kardashians is just sinking in for Kiwi publisher Tim Phin, who secured the youngest Kardashian sister as covergirl for his latest issue.
"We were filmed for an episode of season 10 of the Kardashians which will screen in April," Phin told The Diary.
"They filmed us doing our shoot and interview with Kylie Jenner at a West Hollywood studio in early March. The TV cameras filmed us as we shot her. It was quite surreal, but a privilege to be a part of it all."
Jenner, 17, chose the Kiwi magazine for an exclusive interview and photoshoot, and shared the pictures on Instagram with her 19 million followers. So has her momager, Kris.
"We approached her directly," Phin said. "She was great to work with and nothing was off limits - except her dad, we weren't allowed to ask questions about Bruce Jenner [and his rumoured gender transition]."
Kylie Jenner.
Jenner modelled clothes by New Zealand designers Kate Sylvester and Helen Cherry in the photoshoot.
"Kylie didn't know much about New Zealand, but she follows Lorde. We left her with a little gift from Stolen Girlfriends, and she loved it."
