So I spent the afternoon with Russell Crowe

Well...me and about twelve thousand other people apparently!

I'd forgotten just how damn cold and miserable it can be going to a rugby game in the middle of winter - but yesterday brought it all back :)

The South Sydney (Australia) Rabbitohs played a Rugby League exhibition game against the Leeds (as in England) Rhinos here in Jacksonville, Florida. Being Australia Day, the Aussies were out in force, but there were plenty of Black (All Blacks from NZ), Super Twelve, UK team jerseys to be found, and many Americans pretty impressed at how fast the game ran, and a bit astounded I think that the hits that were being given out -- with NO padding!

I don't know about Aussie, and since it's been a long while since I got to see a game live in NZ I don't know if they've picked up the practice, but it was kind of odd to see everyone with cups of (horrendously over priced) beer in their hands at the rugby. I had to seriously doubt the organisers sanity at serving beer where there were going to be copious amounts of Aussies, Kiwis and Englishmen - all renowned for their abilities to swig back booze! (Although I do realise that this is a normal USA thing - surprised the hell out of me when we went to a concert to find everyone drinking).

So I was about here| and Russell Crowe was at the bottom of the stand about, oh, about here | (ie not really that close at all), but we were there for the rugby anyway, eh...

Now if only they could pull off a Rugby Union game here in Jacksonville, I'd buy you all a front row ticket!