Todd Fuller: Training's over, it's time for all dedicated fans to party hard

Todd Fuller and mates - ready to celebrate. Photo / Steven McNicholl

Opinion

Todd Fuller will be travelling New Zealand as a good old-fashioned rugby fan over the next seven weeks - and telling Herald readers of his adventures. Here, he kicks off his new weekly column.

The whole world's coming to New Zealand, and - if possible - me and my mates plan on having a drink with every single one of them. Well, at least we'd like to have a drink with a representative from every nation.

It shouldn't be asking too much. While there won't be too many Russians and Georgians following their sides, they're nations famous for liking a tipple, and rugby is a famously convivial game.

Along with my mates Leigh Utton and Craig Hewetson, I'll be going to 18 games starting this Friday with the All Blacks v Tonga. Our mission: to have a great time and relay the events - a fan's-eye perspective - to you.

It won't be cheap - we started saving for this from the moment New Zealand were announced as Cup hosts back in 2005. Six years later, the talk is over and it's time to walk the walk. Uniforms are ready - black, of course. Hotels are booked and transport is arranged.

Like the players, we've been in training. I've been out and about the last couple of nights getting a few warm-up laps done in Auckland's bars - and am amazed at how many visitors are already here. We've had a few preliminary drinks with drunk Scots and - perhaps unsurprisingly - an Irishman or two. Anyone walking through Takapuna will have noticed some unusually suave-looking characters: the French have arrived.

Our plan is to party hard and socialise with as many different countries' supporters as possible. The hospitality shown to us over many years of following rugby tours and World Cups has been nothing short of sensational - at the 1995 Rugby World Cup we hired a motorhome for 35 days and only slept in it on three nights.

So, into round one. On Friday, we're taking part in the game-day walk. First, there's lunch at our head office, Degree bar in the Viaduct, where we'll watch the waka arrive and the 600-strong haka.

After the mighty All Blacks dispatch Tonga (hopefully without any injuries), it's back into town for a long night ahead.

On Saturday, Leigh has organised a mini World Cup of ripper rugby among eight of the North Harbour rugby clubs and in the evening it's France v Japan.

On Sunday morning we have volunteered to help Wayne Shelford plant trees at Long Bay, then we are off to support the Italians against Aussie at North Harbour stadium.

If you see us, please join us for a drink.

We want to meet other like-minded fans - from any team. So if you want us to cover your supporters' events or even just catch up for a quiet one, please email todd.fuller@apn.co.nz