Rugby on ice as Spain takes on New Zealand

As the big name Rugby World Cup teams begin to arrive in New Zealand - Fiji yesterday, England, Japan and France tomorrow (31.08.2011) - there’s another team flying in under the radar that’s also destined to turn heads.

Spain - which hasn’t officially contested the World Cup since 1999 - has just dispatched a women’s seven-a-side rugby team that is headed for an international tussle against a local Kiwi team on the icy slopes of a glacier.

Due to arrive in the South Island tomorrow, the Spanish team - all passionate rugby fans from Barcelona - includes a nurse, a dancer and a surfer.

Their 20-day schedule in New Zealand will also include playing against Otago University’s celebrated Nude Blacks in the pre-match warm-up before Argentina plays England at Otago Stadium on 10 September.

Sporting light

The Spanish senoritas are the winners of a YouTube competition designed to shine a little sporting light on New Zealand’s far west - the remote West Coast region of the South Island where the glaciers of the Southern Alps meet coastal rain forest.

While the West Coast didn’t score any official RWC games, the locals are hoping that plenty of rugby fans will take the detour over the Southern Alps to experience the region’s many natural attractions.

The Spanish team will be blogging and uploading video material about their trip to New Zealand, which will include visits to Canterbury, Queenstown and Otago as well as the West Coast, and their rugby adventures.

Glacier Country Cup

The Glacier Country Cup - played at 2340m above sea level on Fox Glacier - is an annual fixture between local seven-a-side teams representing the twin Fox and Franz Josef glaciers.

For the event, goal posts are erected and the field is marked out with pink fluo cones arranged on the glacier.

Players fly in on helicopters, wear thermal mountain gear and kick a green ball around on the snow and ice.

This year’s international seven-a-side match - scheduled for 6 October, weather permitting - will pit the visitors against the Fox Glacier Cunning Foxes who are the current Glacier Cup Country champions.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOv9U0HJ6y4

Rugby video

The contest called for prospective rugby teams to make a rugby video in a unique location, wearing interesting clothing and telling an entertaining tale.

The winners, who shot a video of themselves playing seven-a-side on a Barcelona beach while shedding articles of clothing, say that their love of rugby is not a frivolous pursuit.

"The idea came to life after reflecting on the importance of rugby within our own lives, over which we sacrifice our bodies on and off the field.

"We are tired of the misconception that rugby is not a sport for chicas ... this game is not for girls, but a sport for women. Real women. Strong women that always want to succeed."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=By7aWCsBGmc

Glacier Country Tourism

The competition offered a prize package of around NZ$50,000 - including flights, accommodation, transport, dining experiences and activities - and attracted entries from North America, Europe and India.

Video entries were uploaded onto the Glacier Country Tourism YouTube page, and a panel of seven judges selected the winning entry.

Glacier Country Tourism has promoted the competition as a way of bringing some of the rugby excitement that is currently gripping the rest of New Zealand to their region - and to encourage rugby fans to make a detour between games to experience the Coast’s many natural attractions.

Fox and Franz Josef glaciers are two of the most accessible glaciers in the world. Apart from glaciers, the West Coast’s diverse landscape - rugged coast, ancient rain forests, and alpine backbone - is a playground for many authentic adventure and eco tourism activities.

Background: Fox Glacier

Fox Glacier forms part of the South Westland World Heritage Area, and with 36 sq km of slippery slopes would fit 7200 rugby fields.

It is one of the most accessible glaciers in the world - either on foot from Fox Glacier village Weheka, or by helicopter.

While many glaciers world-wide have been retreating, Fox Glacier still flows almost to sea level, making it a unique relic of the last Ice Age.

From the base of the glacier there are unsurpassed views of New Zealand's two highest mountains - Mt Cook and Mt Tasman - and the low-land rainforest of the South Island's West Coast.