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England rugby fans Jodie Burton and Tom Hudson show their "World in Union" scroll outside Otago Stadium yesterday. The couple have cycled halfway around the world to make it to the Rugby World Cup tournament. Photo by Craig Baxter. |
Diehard rugby fans Tom Hudson and Jodie Burton have cycled
halfway around the world, crossed Chinese deserts, battled
Romanian bears and spread the good word about the oval ball
code to make it to Dunedin for the World Cup.
The England supporters do not have tickets to any of matches,
but are "stoked" to be in New Zealand after a journey, which
has seen them clock up 28,000km on their bikes.
The couple left their investment banking jobs in London 18
months ago to set out on their epic adventure and have
visited out-of-the way communities promoting the game of
rugby in 28 countries along the way.
"It's amazing the following the All Blacks have around the
world. You wouldn't believe how many isolated places where
they play the game and back your team," Mr Hudson said.
The pair have collected signatures from international rugby
identities for their "world in union" scroll and intend to
present the piece of memorabilia to the Rugby Museum of New
Zealand in Palmerston North.
They plan to be in Auckland for the World Cup semifinals and
have calculated they will need to cycle about 500km a week to
make it in time.
The couple, who are both aged 30, arrived in Dunedin on
Monday to reunite with Mr Hudson's parents, who live at
Vauxhall.
"I've only visited them once, for a couple of days, after
they moved here about six years ago," he said.
They are in Dunedin for England's tournament opener against
Argentina at Otago Stadium on Saturday, but will miss the
remaining games as they have to be on their bikes by Monday
to make the knockout matches in the North Island.
However, they intend to return after the World Cup final in
Auckland for some more of the"home comforts" courtesy of Mr
Hudson's parents.
Ms Burton said it had been her idea to cycle to New Zealand,
after Mr Hudson first raised the idea of travelling down
under for the World Cup.
"He just wanted to go and watch the rugby, while I wanted to
go exploring, so we combined everything into the one
adventure," she said.
The pair have used their trip to raise funds for Tag Rugby
Trust, a non-profit organisation which helps isolated
communities and clubs around the world by promoting the union
code.
Mr Hudson and Ms Burton are also hoping to stop at New
Zealand rugby clubs during their ride north to try to
convince them to"buddy up" with clubs in poorer countries.
"We're hoping some of Dunedin's clubs might contact us
through our 'cycling to the Rugby World Cup' website," they
said.
While their journey has seen them attacked by bears in
Romania and crippled by frostbite in China, they say they
have been constantly surprised at the opportunities which the
game provides through its "grassroots mentality".
They hope to get tickets to some pool games on their journey
to Auckland, but are happy "just to be here" to take in New
Zealand's rugby culture as World Cup hosts, Mr Hudson said.
- Additional reporting The New Zealand Herald
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