It was always a longshot: flying all the way to New Zealand to support the England Rugby World Cup team. And like fellow Englishman Jonny Wilkinson, my longshot missed – badly. Fortunately, New Zealand has plenty to offer beyond the tournament. Distraught about England’s lame defeat by a French side who barely made it through [...]

People travel for many reasons: for raw pleasure, to challenge themselves, to see new places, and to meet new people. It has been the people I have met in my first two weeks in New Zealand that have impressed upon me the most. The country is stretched to capacity by the invasion of rugby fans [...]