Rugby World Cup: Jonah Lomu - UK

South Africa victorious

Sun, 21 Oct 2007 07:30:58 -0800

Finally, after six weeks and 51 games we came down to the final game at Stade de France last night. Not the final that anyone would have predicted or expected but the two teams who deserved to be there. Today I watched the sea of white arrive in Paris, they were everywhere. ...

Traffic jams in Paris!

Sat, 20 Oct 2007 11:23:37 -0800

Last night I spent two and a half hours stuck in a traffic jam in the centre of Paris. We left our hotel the Crillon at 6pm to pick up some friends in the Opera district and tried to go to the opening of the new Eden Park store before going to dinner. We sat in the car for two and a half hours not even moving more than a kilometre, Paris was gridlocked and I was really disappointed to miss the opening of Frank Mesnel's new store - sorry guys. ...

Down to the final

Mon, 15 Oct 2007 10:27:18 -0800

Yesterday I went to Rugby Town and dedicated a sculpture designed by Gerald du Crest for the French foundation for Transplants Foundation Greffe de Vie. This sculpture along with three others will be auctioned in 2008 with all the proceeds going to the Foundation. As a recipient of a kidney transplant this is a cause close to my heart and I was very happy to have been able to assist with this. ...

Au revoir Les Blacks and Les Bleus

Sun, 14 Oct 2007 13:01:12 -0800

This week was a busy one for me, following the All Blacks loss I was inundated with media requests with everybody wanting to know why the All Blacks lost. For me it was simple the French beat us, they out passioned us and out muscled us. The All Blacks lost composure and were unable to function under the pressure. ...

Another big day at the quarters ...

Tue, 09 Oct 2007 11:54:14 -0800

It was Paris Nuit Blanche on Saturday night so when we arrived back from Cardiff at 3am we took a walk along the Champs Elysee. There were people everywhere and the atmosphere was fantastic. All the French we met said they were so sorry for the All Blacks and were very gracious in their win.

Back at home in New Zealand the country has slipped into a depression and many are deeply shocked that we were knocked out in the quarters. ...

Upset to end all upsets …

Mon, 08 Oct 2007 09:46:49 -0800

It's been the first week without rugby for the last month but it hasn't meant it's been quiet. I've been doing a lot of media, working with Eurosport and Yahoo and I did a store signing for adidas at Galeries Lafayette in Paris this week where they had a big turnout of fans from all around the world. I enjoyed some more great Parisian restaurants, one night taking in the views at Café de l'homme. I'm a big sushi and sashimi fan and I would recommend Lo Sushi for a quick lunch. ...

Quarter Final Time

Mon, 01 Oct 2007 14:19:59 -0800

With three weeks of rugby gone we've seen some great games, some awful games, some surprises and a lot of what we knew would happen. As I have always said a World Cup is a unique event, going into it you can have the team rankings, the favourites, the minnows but you just never know how things will turn out. This World Cup has been no different to the others and going into the quarter-finals the Cup itself is still up for grabs with no clear leader. ...

Fiji march on

Sun, 30 Sep 2007 15:31:47 -0800

Today was a quiet day for me which is something I haven't had since arriving in France a month ago. I have had a great month but it's been pretty hectic working with Eurosport and Yahoo!, ambassadorial work with adidas and EDF, speaking engagements, columns, rugby visits, interviews, dinners and travelling; you name it I've been doing it. To grab a quiet day was great and to top it off I could enjoy some great rugby at the same time. ...

Bordeaux... and a spot of rugby!

Sat, 29 Sep 2007 12:05:35 -0800

I was fortunate to be invited to Bordeaux by some friends of mine this week and spent a day and a half touring some of the finest vineyards in France, in fact in the world. We stayed at Chateau Cheval Blanc for two nights, where we were incredibly well looked-after by everyone at the property and we had the chance to sample some of their wines with their winemaker. ...

Tough Draws for the minnows....

Thu, 27 Sep 2007 10:20:14 -0800

Yesterday we travelled by TGV to Bordeaux to spend two nights at Chateau Cheval Blanc. We will tour some vineyards today and will attend a Rugby Legends Tournament in Begles. I'm sure there will be plenty of opportunities to sample the regions' specialties!

We took a walk around St Emillion and like everywhere I've been in France we bumped into some rugby fans from Canada and South Africa. ...