Go the Stags!

What a day to be a Southlander. Congratulations to our mighty rugby team on their winning of the Ranfurly shield. And particularly a huge thank you to Jimmy Cowan for his attendance and encouragement on the side line. He’s probably the highest paid water boy around. I’m sure his support helped an already motivated team succeed. I only wish I could have been at Invercargill airport at eleven this morning to welcome home our victorious Stags and the mighty Ranfurly Shield. But I was there in spirit as I’m sure so many other ex-pat Southlanders were. Our rugby boys have done us proud over the last couple of years but last night’s defeat of Canterbury, and the winning of the ‘ole log of wood’ has caused such an outpouring of pride. Well done the Stags.
Worthy of note was the attendance and support of the waterboy. Epitimising my own feelings about Southland being in our blood forever, Jimmy Cowan showed that just because he was slipping on a different coloured jersey didn’t take away his responsibility to Southland, and more importantly, the team who helped him win that coveted black jersey. I never noticed any of Canterbury’s All Blacks in attendance, then again I acknowledge I could easily have missed seeing them. Perhaps a little verbal support from them might have spurred the Canterbury team though.