Rugby World Cup Shorts: Stiff opposition

Rachel Rakena with her black tower. Locals have a more down-to-earth view. Photo / Otago Daily Times

A giant black phallus in the middle of Dunedin has roused stiff opposition. The "Haka Peep Show", in the shape of a deodorant can, is described by artist Rachel Rakena as being a "towering black pou" (post or pillar).

Locals describe it as looking like a giant penis.

Rakena says she "thought about it long and hard before deciding" on the artwork.

Councillor Lee Vandervis "resigned in disgust" from the council's Art in Public Places subcommittee when the committee supported spending $100,000 on the piece, which was unveiled in the Octagon on Friday.

"We're paying $50,000 to rent a black penis in the Octagon? What's that all about?" asked Mr Vandervis.

Your daily Quade I

Chalk one up for Quade Cooper and his ability to get a reference to a nasty water-borne parasite into a Wallabies team announcement press conference.

When asked if there might be something in the Tokoroa water that had produced five players in the current World Cup (Cooper, Richard Kahui, Keven Mealamu, Isaac Boss and Nicky Little), Cooper replied: "That's what everyone's been saying but I remember a few years back when I was living there there was a lot of giardia in the water. It could be something else though."

Your daily Quade II

Speaking of Public Enemy No 1, yesterday's photo of Adam Watkins flicking the bird to Cooper and fellow Wallaby star Kurtley Beale brought a strong response. There were several kind offers to buy Adam a beer. A bottle of Cooper's perhaps?

Bums on seats

It seems there's extra leg room in the stadium of four million. This World Cup is on track to be the first to record a drop in bums on seats, with the estimated total of 1,560,000 falling well under the 2,263,223 of 2007.

Our online boffins have put together a smashing interactive graphic by looking at World Cup crowds from 1987 to now. Check it out here: http://tinyurl.com/nzhrugcrowd

Corey watch, Day 10

Who would have thought: four All Black injuries in little over 24 hours and none of them involve Corey Flynn breaking an arm! Keep it up, son!

England gropies I

An anonymous source in the Sun had this to say about Mike Tindall's Queenstown grope: "The girl was absolutely stunning and all over him. He clearly thought it was a case of 'what happens on tour, stays on tour'.

"But it's not the behaviour you would expect of a man who is not only England captain but also now a member of the royal family."

We agree: a true member of the royal family would have been wearing an Afrika Korps uniform and/or racially insulting the natives whilst burying his face in a woman's breasts.

England gropies II

The English Rugby Football Union had this to say: "Mike and several of the players were enjoying an evening out after he had led the team to a hard-earned victory over Argentina. Like all the lads, he plays for England with a massive amount of passion and he was relaxing after a tough match."

I must try that excuse at home some time: "Sorry for coming home with lipstick on my collar, love, but along with several of my teammates I was enjoying an evening out after a busy day at work. Like all the lads I do my job with a massive amount of passion and I was relaxing after a tough match."

Predicted response: SLAP!