Paul Hickey: Saluting the All Blacks and welcoming them back

All Blacks Captain Sam Cane will have the whole of the Bay of Plenty behind him this weekend. Photo / Getty Images

OPINION

Sport and music. Two of the big cultural pastimes that bring like-minded people together.

During the year we've always had our music, but no concerts. Sport has slowly returned, much of it without fans. But the enthusiasm has remained unbridled and I love the passion being seen around our rugby players winning the Ranfurly Shield.

Some things remain the same in this country despite the issues of the pandemic. And this weekend the All Blacks return, in front of a crowd too.

And in an afternoon match. It could be the biggest All Blacks moment outside a Rugby World Cup. Feel it, Aotearoa. And locally we can celebrate, too, as our own Sam Cane leads the Men in Black for the first time as (official) captain. What a moment.

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I have seen quite a bit written this week about roadworks in the city, and the lack of respect being shown by many of our local drivers as they transit through these areas.

And I couldn't agree more with the sentiment around how dangerous this is for all those men and women working hard for our benefit in the long term, but more importantly for their own sakes and the future of their families. I've had a longtime family history with the industry, and even spent a bit of time on roadworks sites as a young fella working for my dad's business back in the day, so I know first-hand just how scary it can be.

Traffic has increased so much since then, and when it's a main thoroughfare like Te Ngae Rd even more so; hence why the work is being done in the first place.

There are days when I would just love to be a cop, pinging every driver racing through there over the safe limit. Revenue gathering? How about danger money straight to those men and women right on the other side of the cones?

There are major changes happening regarding the actual location of the Tarawera roundabout over this week, and extra care is going to be needed. So come on drivers, be safe and think about others.

In saying all of that, though, I will add one final comment. How frustrating is it when the 30km/h limit signs are out and there is nothing actually happening in that particular area! I can understand slowing us down through uneven roads, but 50km/h might suffice?

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For a winter-phobe like me, the weather at the beginning of the week was a godsend and a reminder of just why I love the summer months. Sunday was amazing, and then it felt so good to get out of work clothes at the end of Monday and slide into some shorts and a basketball singlet. There were a couple of downsides though. The white glare off the legs and then the surprise sunburn that followed - a lesson and reminder learned very quickly.

As we get to the time of the year when the kids should be putting down the devices and game controllers and spending more time outdoors, parents will be gearing up for the job of cleaning those dirty outdoorsy clothes, and perhaps doing our best to get rid of the pesky grass stains off the knees of the longer pants. Or do we need to worry about that? Apparently not, because now it is fashionable!

Italian fashion house Gucci has unveiled its new $1200 jeans, which are designed to look as though they have grass stains around the knee area. The light-blue, wide-leg denim pants are made from organic cotton "specifically treated for a stained-like, distressed effect", according to Gucci's website. The low-waist, eco-washed jeans also feature a vintage logo label above the back pocket.

It's another reason to encourage the kids to head outdoors and do knee skids in their jeans, it will now actually increase their value.

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Paul Hickey is the host of the locally-based 9am-3pm show on The Hits Rotorua 97.5FM. Follow on Facebook The Hits Rotorua and on Twitter @paulhickeynz