Costume mania a winner

Jay Williams of Papakura feigns injury to enlist help from "nurses" Anna Bennett (left) and Stacey Johnson, as they arrive for the Sevens at Westpac Stadium. Picture / Mark Mitchell

If the scorelines in the first round of a fast and furious international Sevens tournament were predictable, the audience at Westpac Stadium in Wellington was anything but.

Among them, the Weekend Herald spotted the Osama bin Laden team - named "bin Naked" and "bin Cut" - who had come out of hiding at the pub only to find themselves facing the Bill Clinton Team, apparently without any Monicas.

Hutt Valley High School students raised smiles in their nurses' uniforms.

The NYPD Orifices took on the role of law-breaking, one attempting to streak before being stopped by a real New Zealand officer.

Another male streaker was more successful, making it nearly all the way around the field before being tackled.

Back from last year were the stalwart Flintstones, Punch and Jon from ChiPS and the Einsteins.

Costume mania is so prolific that even those who do not dress up are deemed to have done so.

The poor man with a striking resemblance to Colonel Sanders of KFC fame was greeted with salutes and chanting. There was also some rugby played, and Jonah Lomu was there last night to lead out New Zealand in the parade of teams.

But Niue was adopted as the people's favourite. "Everyone cheered for them, although that could have been because they were playing against England," said one spectator.

On the field, New Zealand trounced Kenya 40-7, England did the same to Canada 31-5. Even more impressive was Argentina's 41-0 walloping of Tonga.

Roy Kinikinilau romped in with four tries for New Zealand against Kenya.