Ross Island Cup

I haven't written a blog for nearly a week now, there's a lot (relatively speaking) to catch up on.  So, seeing as once again I'm shifting on ANITA, a slightly mind numbing 7 hour experience checking graphs and numbers, I may as well post a glut of blogs about what's been happening down in McMurdo.

The USA isn't renowned as a rugby power, most Americans don't know the rules and a fair proportion of the its populous probably has never watched a game.  But, fueled by patriotic enthusiasm and excitement at a break from the normal routine of life around base, a large group of McMurdoans witnessed the highlight of the Antarctic sporting calendar; an annual rugby game between McMurdo (USA) and Scott Base (New Zealand).  The winner of the game this year would have the pride of taking home the inaugural Hillary-Dufek Ross Island Cup, only problem for McMurdo being they hadn't scored a try in the fixture for many years now and have never actually beaten the Kiwi team.

The Scott Base team perform the Haka

Seeing as Americans are good at almost every other sport I was a traitor to McMurdo, even though I had to stand in their section of the crowd, I was rooting for the Kiwis.  What is it with American sports crowds and highly unoriginal cheering, and chanting every time a tackle was made regardless how much ground Scott Base had made!?  If they'd been playing Australia I'm sure I'd have felt differently though.

Watching rugby played on ice is certainly interesting, the two injuries and blood left on the pitch showed how committed the players were.  But in the end the result was as expected, Scott Base ran out winners, albeit with a fairly close 8-0 score.