Lots of sports fans are passionate about their team, but Michael Browne and his family are taking things to extremes this weekend. Robert van Royen reports.
What better reason for a family get-together than a Highlanders semifinal in Sydney tonight?
Eight members of the Browne family all agree.
Passionate Highlanders fan Michael Browne and his Australian fiancee Larissa Hanley will cheer the team on against the Waratahs, along with Mr Browne's parents Heather and Greg, sister Maria, niece Addison and uncles Stephen, Peter and Tom.
They will fly to Sydney from Gladstone, Melbourne, Perth and Karratha to follow their ''beautiful Highlanders'' - as will 15 of their mates from Dunedin.
Mr Browne (28), who was born and raised in Balclutha, moved to Australia when he was 20 but has never stopped following the Highlanders.
''I never miss a game,'' he said from Australia.
''If I'm working, I record it and watch it when I get home.
''I even sat in the car watching it live on my phone while I was meant to be inside with Larissa at her work function.''
Mr Browne lives in Gladstone and works as a scaffolder on Curtis Island, just off the coast.
Uncles Peter and Stephen have lived in Australia for more than 30 years, while the six other family members attending the game moved across the Ditch within 12 months of each other.
The idea of getting together to watch the game came about when Mr Browne's Dunedin friend Scott Fitzpatrick sent a message looking for people wanting to go to the game.
It did not take long to catch on.
A group of 15, including Mr Fitzpatrick, will head to Sydney from Dunedin to watch the match with the Brownes.
''We will meet at a bar near the stadium and watch the Warriors [play the Raiders] and the Hurricanes-Brumbies semifinal, before hitting up the main event,'' Mr Browne said.
Since moving to Australia, the 28-year-old has travelled to Perth and Brisbane to watch the boys in blue play, and has also converted his fiancee into a Highlanders fan.
''She knows about rugby league, but I've had to teach her about union,'' he said.
''She's a full-on Landers supporter now, so there's no looking back. Talk about a good year to start supporting them.''
Mr Browne is so confident the Highlanders will beat the Waratahs and the Hurricanes the Brumbies, he has booked flights to Wellington for next weekend's final.
If the Highlanders happen to host the final, he will head to Dunedin for the match.
He puts the Highlanders' success down to their willingness to attack from anywhere and is picking them to win 32-21, with Ben Smith opening the scoring in the right-hand corner.
