It started as a slightly drunk conversation about what music you'd like to have played when you walk out on to the field (Smack My Bitch Up). It escalated into a very drunk conversation about what you would do if you scored.
Naturally there were some favourites from American sports (home of showboating) that we adapted to New Zealand sports. Cricket for example is quite dull when it comes to celebrations of a great feat. After a six or a particularly good innings total you point your bat at the crowd or maybe even remove your helmet. A wicket can result in a group hug and a bottom-patting session (or perhaps more if Emma's writing it). This is, in a word, boring.
The committee decided that it would quite good to see the good old "grenade toss" brought into cricket (where after a wicket the player with the ball pretends the ball is a grenade, pulls the pins and tosses it towards a group of team mates who then fall to the ground as though they are blown up, hilarious when touring Pakistan I imagine).
The batsmen are easier to choreograph because they've got a prop. They could ride the bat around like a horse (a la Happy Gilmore), they could play it like a guitar, they could pretend it's a chainsaw, they could (and this was my favourite) "unscrew" the end of the handle and "scull" the bat before holding the "empty vessel" over their head. This move is recommended for Messrs Ryder and Symonds.
But basically you want arrogance without annoying repetition.
Rugby players tend to like showing off where they are from. For that I recommend using a simple hand gesture. The following are what we ( Amy and I) came up with for:
Auckland
Hamilton
Wellington (already in usage)
Hawke's Bay
and Bay of Plenty.
Expect to see more of those during the upcoming bubblegum rugby season. However, this is still my favourite rugby celebration ever.
*****
You know that bit of trivia about the US being the current Olympic champs of rugby? Well for Christmas my friend in France, sent me a book from the 1960's of historic Olympic photos. I was leafing through and uploading some of favourites when I found a picture from the 1920 games of "Equipe Nationale Des Etats-Unis D'Amerique".
And that is a kick-ass uniform.
The other pics I upped can be found in this set including these very racy swimsuits from the 1912 games in Stockholm.