Everything you need to know about moving to NZ

You probably know that Rugby is a very big part of the Kiwi lifestyle. From February to November NZ stops most Saturday nights for The Game which is played at venues in most major centres with live coverage on Sky TV.

A Kiwi ritual is gathering at pubs and watching the game on the big TVs that a lot of pubs have, and the atmosphere can be brilliant.

One thing that really differentiates Rugby from Soccer is how the crowd behaves. Even when arch rivals meet (the archest of rivals are Canterbury and Auckland or vs. any Australian team) there is a lot of light hearted abuse but the two teams supporters will usually drink a toast to the victors together with violence and aggression completely unheard of. After a game the only thing the Police need to do is direct traffic, so you can enjoy a game in complete safety.

There are three series of games that get played every year; Super 14, NPC (National Provincial Championship) and the All Blacks series. 

NPC

The National Provincial Championship has three divisions, with the First Division being predominantly professional players with Second and Third Divisions being increasingly amateur, although some professionals do play for Second Division teams.

Super 14

This is essentially a Southern Hemisphere provincial championship between professional teams representing regions in NZ, South Africa and Australia. In NZ the teams are The Highlanders, who hail from the bottom half of the South Island, the Crusaders from the central and north of the South Island, the Hurricanes from Wellington, the Chiefs from the Waikato and the Blues from Auckland.

The two strongest sides are The Blues and The Crusaders, with The Crusaders being the most frequent winners of the Super 14. See Super14.com for more information on the Super 14 competition.

All Blacks

The All Blacks play 2 series every year, the Tri Nations between Australia, South Africa and New Zealand and the Bledisloe Cup against Australia. Winning the Bledisloe Cup is arguably the most important thing for New Zealanders because they are united in their dislike of being beaten by Australia. The All Blacks usually win the Bledisloe Cup, but when they lose it's a good idea not to ask a Kiwi "So, did you enjoy the game on Saturday?" because they may well burst into tears. Or punch you.

To find out more, visit www.allblacks.com. 

Our favourite all-round New Zealand rugby website is Rugby Heaven.