Open letter about NZ rugby – sent to the NZRU

I sent this letter to the NZ Rugby Union Board 24^th April 2019. The topic line said to the Rugby Union “Please forward to the Board Chair (Brent) and Crusaders (Grant) and all board members”

To Brent Impey, Grant Jarrold and your boards,

This is an open letter to you and other rugby fans.

I am 73-year-old All Blacks, Canterbury and Crusaders fan. I’ve been a one-eyed Cantabrian since I began, as a child, listening to the games on the radio and/or standing on the embankment at Lancaster Park with my Dad. I also expected my younger son to play for Canterbury – he played for Shirley, and once, in a junior team, played for Canterbury. Sadly, his coach-father died when he was 12 and then, at 15, a motorbike accident saw his leg being ripped off at the groin – killing his dreams and expectations of a rugby future.

The reason I’m writing is that I want to have my say as I’ve not signed any petition or been included in any poll. I also believe a letter is of more value than a signature.

I want the name ‘Crusaders’ to change. I’m glad the extras have been stopped and I hope the horse and knights will never return – in any form. I was disturbed, no – actually I was horrified – when the team was named in the mid-90s but put it down to ignorance of history and assumed most people/fans would be ignorant too.

That passive acceptance on my part changed in an instant when the white supremacist terrorist killed Muslims in my home city. (I live in Wellington now but you can take the girl out of the city but not the city out of the girl).

You don’t need a history lesson from me, others more qualified will have advised you. I also don’t believe a nation-wide poll should drive your decision either. Just do the right thing for all of us – a decision you will be able to capitalise on, as proof of a team of honourable, inclusive, diverse, people.

Please do not consult the local mosques unless the first question is – do you want to have a say about a name change? You would just be setting them up for more vitriol when you change the name – people not wanting a name change will blame them entirely.

Without a name change, this topic will come up every year. Will fans like me be able to wear our jerseys with pride? Not really. We will still love our team no matter its name or rankings but keeping the name and branding will cause issues for us fans too. If we can’t wear our red and black with pride, I suspect many will lose interest.

Please consider these points when you vote about the name change . . .  long before the new season starts, so we, and you, can buy the new red and black kit!

I look forward to hearing from you.

Heather Hapeta

Here’s their bounced back reply: 24^th April – I’ve received nothing more.

Kia ora,

Thanks for contacting New Zealand Rugby.

We greatly appreciate you taking the time to email us, we’ll do our best to respond to you as soon as possible, however we are currently experiencing a high volume of emails and may require an extra few days.

If your email is about All Blacks schedule, public appearances, tickets or for signed memorabilia for charity, please go to http://www.allblacks.com/Contact

For all other questions and queries, we’ll come back to you as soon  as possible.

Nga Mihi

	Info
	NZ Rugby Info

 

Wall of love on my Monday morning walk

Today our regular U3A Monday morning walk continued on the terrorism and grief path when we visited a wall of love at Victoria University.  these photos are in order of being taken, the bulk are of the students’ messages of love and support.

My walk photos started with a  poster on Cuba Street, we met at the wharewaka,  walked to the cable car, past some autumn colour then along to Vic Uni,  where we also saw their tuatara, before heading back  to the city and the National library where some of us signed the Book of Memories for the victims of the white supremacist terrorist murders of 50 people  – innocently praying – of course, another 48 were injured and are mostly still in hospital.  a coffee and food and there are my 13,000 steps done by lunchtime 🙂

Cuba Street message

Autumn is well in season

yes .. clever sign

Ti Kouka or ‘cabbage tree’

Vic Uni

wall of love (my name for it)

tuatara thru dirty window!

NZ flag at half mast

time for coffee at Home cafe

Terrorism and white supremacy – signs of the times

The #worldsweakestman #cowardly #whiteSupremacist kills fifty innocent people -these 50 in New Zealand (pop. 4,792,409) are the equivalent about 3500 people dying in a country with the population of the USA (329,093,110). Puts it into perspective!

I’m proud to be a kiwi and our current Prime Minister who has ensured only 6 days later New Zealand gun laws are changed

Do you, should you, travel after a terrorist threat?

The KiwiTravelWriter in Sabah

Are you thinking about travel in areas that have had various forms of trouble or terrorism recently? If so I offer this quote from one of my books, subtitled Can this travel writer be green? See here on Amazon  

“It’s providing this familiar food and experiences which Rooksana Hossenally talks about in the Huff Post article, Sustainable Tourism: barking up the wrong tree ‘In wanting to adapt themselves completely to the lay western tourist, but as the recession bites and trends change, the countries are slowly losing their visitors who prefer to go somewhere that offers better quality holidays comprised of a more authentic experience at a destination closer to home. But already ruined by the Parador model, it is too late to overturn these countries’ initial short-sightedness. When money is lacking, why pay significantly more to travel halfway across the world when exactly the same infrastructure and weather is available a two-hour flight away?’

I agree, it’s the differences most people travel for, and although hotels need to provide for the person who is unwell and needs, or wants, familiar food, it should be a tiny part of the menu. Tourists who want the same services everywhere will always go to the closest place, the fashionable destination, the place with the best bang for their buck.

As soon as trouble breaks out (dengue fever, quake, tsunami, or civil unrest) it’s the tourists who cancel their bookings, and the travellers, looking for the differences, the culture and the food of another place, who continue with their travel plans. It’s their differences that all countries need to cultivate and celebrate. Uniqueness attracts real travellers and provides the steady tourist dollar. Activities like the Batang Ai treetop walk nature walk, and our quirky guide, could not be replicated.”

So, would I travel to London, UK; or France right now? Of course I would and so would all other travellers -the chances of being affected by such events are small, and the chance of being killed – even smaller.  I guess I’m a traveller not a tourist – what would you do travel or change your destination?

Nevertheless, I’m not going to London, or Pakistan, or Afghanistan, or France – as, in 3 weeks I’m off to Mongolia, for 10 days, and after that down to Malaysian Borneo, (Sabah & Sarawak) then over to Penang on Malaysia’s Peninsula. After that who knows! Of course am always open to suggestions or invitations. :):):)