KEY POINTS:
Coach loads of New Zealanders have been pouring into Marseille's city centre hotels in the past few days, many of the buses bearing familiar names. The Quinn (Keith Quinn) party is at the Marseille Mercure. These folk have paid $40,000 each to follow the All Blacks for the eight-week tournament. As most of the group are couples, at $80,000 you really begin to understand the meaning of trip of a lifetime. They are understood to be the only tour group from any country staying for the long haul. Among them is Barrie Davenport who in 1963 became the first man to swim Cook Strait. Australia - based Davenport should find the warmer waters of the Mediterranean more agreeable.
Playing with numbers
New Zealand is steeped in rugby culture but it is some way down the World Cup list of registered rugby players. England, with 1.2 million registered players, heads off France while South Africa comes in third with 465,000. Australia is fourth with 165,000, followed by New Zealand (140,000), Japan (127,000) and Ireland (101,000). Georgia has the least, just 2900. New Zealand's group opponents Romania and Portugal have 7100 and 4300 respectively. Spare a thought for Scotland. Their 25,000 places them well below the USA and Argentina.
Haute couture
French fashion house Chanel has a limited edition rugby ball made from its trademark quilted leather. It's a snip at around $4000 (¬2000).
Sexy Sebastien
Does anybody else wonder how many nicknames one man can have? Sebastien Chabal has been called 'Sea Bass', 'The Caveman' and 'The Anaesthetist'. He's also emerged as the unlikely sex symbol of the tournament, going toe to toe with Frederic Michalak and Daniel Carter for billboard space. Ali Williams might find that jaw-dropping news.
Novel approach
French newspaper Le Figaro took a different approach to illustrate New Zealand rugby in their special Coup Le Monde liftout. They sent a photographer to Auckland Grammar to take a picture of Braxton Stanley, of the rugby-playing Stanleys, next to a 40kg white fella Adam Hyams.
Points for haka
Spotted on the platform of one of Paris' busiest train stations on Thursday: a skinny French conductor trying to replicate the All Blacks haka. Can't say he did a good job but at least he got points for trying.
