Rugby World Cup is underway... with a little help from Jonah

Photo: Some rights reserved by lredshaw@xtra.co.nz

If you know anything at all about rugby, it won't have escaped your attention that the World Cup officially started yesterday in Auckland. And yes, the 'rugby legend' they'd promised was none other than Jonah Lomu - did any of us not see that coming?

I posted a Jonah Lomu-themed excerpt from my book Ka Mate: Travels in New Zealand on the book's official blog yesterday, and if you missed it you can still read about the big man's exploits here -

Jonah Lomu leads the World Cup opening ceremony

There's a highlights video of Lomu's career too, so if you need reminding of why he's a legend then you'll want to check that out. As for the rest of the World Cup, New Zealand have had their day in the sun... but will they make it through to the finals?

Remember to check out Ka Mate: Travels in New Zealand at the Kindle store for more on rugby, wine, sheep, and Lord of the Rings. No cultural stereotypes here...