Rugby

^Wibble - this seems to have sent you into a frenzy of NZ related research. Sure, at their best they are great, but they alway peak between world cups when everyone else is going through the cycle of rebuilding, and they fuck it up when the main event comes along. Plus they poach players from the Pacific islands, and they whinge like kids when they don't win. The thing that makes them so irritating is that the squad and their fans arrive at every world cup thinking they have a right to take the trophy home, and then proceed to get spanked by the French. Actually it isn't irritating, it's entertaining.

Mike Catt, Matt Stevens, Stuart Abbott, Riki Flutey, Dylan Hartley to name but a few recent imports to the English international team.. Martin Johnson even played for NZ under 18s!

If the IRB really supported rugby in the Pacific Islands (and other emerging rugby nations) instead of just paying lip service to the idea, some Islanders wouldn't have to justifiably make the trip to NZ in order to earn a wage playing rugby. You can't blame NZ for something that England or any other international country in the same position would do.

Personally, I don't find NZ or their fans any more irritating than the Aussies, SA, Wales or England. The only real difference is that NZ have consistently been the strongest team between world cups and are rightfully considered favourites.