PUSH and SHOVE


I was at Eden Park, Auckland, last Saturday, watching a rugby test between New Zealand (The All Blacks) and South Africa (The Springboks). On the playing field there was pushing, shoving, collisions and bone rattling tackles. Off the field and in the stands were over 48 thousand noisy fans mostly dressed in their team colours of black or green. Mostly good natured stirring between fans could be heard and seen. The game ended with a deserved win to the All Blacks. Yusss. 
Most fans stood to leave, but in our stand the stairs were blocked with fans all wanting to leave at the same time. A woman next to me was getting hassled by a drunk New Zealand fan behind her wanting to get past. There was nowhere to go and she was determined to not let him. He then turned his attention to me and demanded I let him go past. Like the woman I argued with him, “We can’t move.” He repeatedly told me to get out of the way and I repeatedly told him, “No!” 
Tension now filled the air around us and I was worried that someone was going to get hit and that that someone was me! I felt a hand link around my arm, so I forcefully said, “Get your hand off me.” To my surprise a smiling South African fan said, “It’s ok mate, it’s my hand, my turn to help you.” I laughed and apologised to him. The drunk must have seen that his way of dealing with the situation wasn’t working and as the crowd thinned out he managed to take another route out of the stadium. 
There is a return match in two days time in Wellington. Go the Abeez!!

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