Matt McCarten: Rugby and politics a double-headed contest

Tevita, Fane and Mary Lou, 3, Lisiate outside their Burnley Tce home. Photo / Natalie Slade

Isn't it fabulous seeing the enthusiasm of New Zealanders for our national sport?

Mangere must take the record for the neighbourhood with the most houses with promotional materials of their favourite team. On one street I saw this week, every second house was decked out in flags

Supporters of various Pacific Island nations have turned the World Cup into an opportunity for national pride - and good for them.

On Thursday I was in Wellington watching an impromptu convoy of a dozen cars filled with Samoan supporters bristling with flags. Half of the cars had painted Samoan flags on their bonnet. The fact that Samoa wasn't even playing at either of the two Wellington matches this weekend didn't matter.

I'm not a great rugby supporter and recently described the Rugby World Cup as a modern-day Roman gladiatorial spectacle given to the masses by their emperor to keep their minds off political problems. The rugby matches are a distraction and the games will benefit John Key in next month's election, particularly if the All Blacks win.

However, it was Helen Clark who intervened to get the RWC here. Imagine if Clark had pulled off the last election? These games would have set her up to win an unprecedented fifth term.

But, politics aside, it's been a fantastic event and everyone involved should take a bow, from the head honcho Martin Snedden to the guys I saw sweeping Downtown Auckland's streets after last weekend's Party Central celebrations.

We all assumed politics would thankfully disappear from our radar for the next month while we were swept along by the oval ball. But last Saturday I realised we weren't getting a break when the billboards of our political teams started appearing on public sites and on people's fences.

When I saw Labour's red signage on someone's fence, I assumed it was a new version of a resident's support for their team - because it was surrounded by Tonga's flags. In some ways, the party election signs mixing with RWC supporters' signage makes neighbourhoods even more colourful.

Whoever designed Labour's new-look billboards has done a good job. The new red is modern and the right use of shadowing lifts the image of the candidates. However, the computer touching up of some of their "less photogenic" candidates makes them look like they've had cosmetic surgery that's gone wrong.

Labour wisely knows it can't beat Key head-on, pitting their leader against the Prime Minister, and instead has gone for a message campaign.

I like its three message boards - GST off fruit and veges; no asset sales; and $15 an hour - and hope they resonate.

National, on the other hand, has used its last election design and it looks dated. But that doesn't matter as Key's face is on all of them.

All National's candidates have to share their billboard with their boss. But it reminds me of NZ First's candidates' billboards that showed Winston Peters looking over their shoulder. Cultish and creepy.

The Greens, in contrast, once more have come up with non-candidate boards solely aimed at the party vote. Their slogan calling for a "richer" New Zealand is smart.

It's a word with double meaning and in some ways mainstreams them while not alienating their core constituency. I'm not overly fond of their design as it's too busy and cluttered. But it's colourful and catches the eye.

The only other party I've seen has been NZ First with only a placard size and, surprisingly, with no picture of Peters. The slogan "we win, you win" must be some inside joke that surely even they don't take seriously.

So we should treat the rugby and our politics as just a double-headed competition that is interchangeable. The All Blacks are the first tournament's favourite and the National Party are the second.

I don't want an upset in the rugby, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed there is in the election. Go the ABs.