Francesca Rudkin: There's nothing like sport to unite the country

Growing up, my mother used to say that life is 95 percent anticipation. It’s in the wait, the build-up and the preparation where the joy is often found. Often the actual event is a let-down.  

That was not how I felt at 9pm last night. Well done to the All Blacks.

But I loved the leadup to last night’s win at Eden Park. I was excited when I got up yesterday morning and I found myself looking for things to do to help make the day go faster. Even for those who aren’t fans, surely there was a little curiosity about how things were going to turn out at the fortress last night.  

It was the most anticipated All Blacks game of the season. A battle against our greatest and most respected foe, at a venue with an impressive legacy. The All Blacks and the Springboks were playing for The Rugby Championship, but, as the general sense of excitement around the country indicated, there is so much more than that - this is one of the great rivalries in sport.  

We heard about it all week - Ardie Savea’s 100th test and all the stats around Eden Park’s history. As much as John Kirwan was right, the team should focus on the match in front of them, and forget the history - there’s no doubt the All Blacks were invigorated by everything that came with the occasion.  

One of the best things about sport like last night is that it’s a distraction. 2025 hasn’t quite been the cracker we’d hoped it would be and the spring weather has packed up - we needed a good night of entertainment. There's nothing like a game of sport to unite a community or country, it's a good feeling.

The Tour de France got me through the short days of winter and over the last few weeks the US Open has got me dreaming I can still play tennis, the Warriors keep us guessing week after week, and the whole family has an opinion on F1 at the dinner table.  

I’ve come to realise I generally love sport more than who wins or loses. If the game is good and fair and gives us a thrill then I’m happy with that. It’s just a smidgen better when it’s a Kiwi team who wins.   

LISTEN ABOVE

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Sunday Session podcast with Francesca Rudkin
from News talks'b.

Speaker 2 (00:13):
Growing up, my mother used to say that life is
ninety five percent anticipation. It's in the wait, the build up,
and the preparation where the joy is often found. Sometimes
the actual event is a letdown. Well that was not
how I felt at nine pm last night. Well done
to the All Blacks, but I loved the lead up
to last night's When at Eden Park, I was excited.

(00:35):
When I got up yesterday morning, I felt like a
bit of a kid. I found myself looking for things
to do to help make the day go faster. Even
for those who aren't fans, surely there was a little
curiosity about how things were going to turn out at
the Fortress last night. It was the most anticipated All
Blacks game of the season, a battle against our greatest
and most respected foe at a venue with an impressive legacy.

(00:59):
The All Blacks and the spring Box were playing for
the Rugby Championship. But as the general sense of excitement
around the country indicated, there is so much more than that.
It's about so much more than that. There is I
think that this is probably one of the greatest rivalries
in sport, and we heard all about it, didn't we
last week? Ardie Saviera is one hundredths test and all

(01:20):
the stats around Eden Park's history, and as much as
John Corwin was right the team should focus on the
match in front of them and forget the history. There's
no doubt the All Blacks were invigorated by everything that
came with the occasion. And in just a moment we'll
talk to anstorm about the game and the All Blacks performance.
But one of the best things about sport like last

(01:40):
night is it it's a distraction. Twenty twenty five hasn't
quite been the cracker we'd hoped it would be, and
the spring weathers packed up a bit. We needed a
good night of entertainment. There's nothing like a game of sport,
united community or country. It's a good feeling, right. We
all sort of come together behind something. The Tour de
France got me through the short days of winter over

(02:03):
the last few weeks. The US Tennis Open has got
me dreaming I can still play tennis. The Warriors, gosh,
they just keep us guessing week after week, don't they.
And the whole family has an opinion on f one
at the dinner table, I've come to realize I generally
love sport more than who wins or loses. If the
game is good and fair and it gives us a thrill,

(02:23):
then I'm happy with that. It's just a smidgeon better
when it's a Kiwi team who wins.

Speaker 1 (02:29):
For more from the Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin, listen
live to news talks it'd be from nine am Sunday,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio