Lions supporters visit museum
The 1970s case at the New Zealand Rugby Museum in Palmerston North was easily the most viewed.
Six coachloads of British and Irish Lions supporters stopped off at the New Zealand Rugby Museum in Palmerston North on Monday en route to Wellington for Tuesday night’s game against the Hurricanes and Saturday’s second test.
The popularity of the 70s display was understandable.
It was the decade that saw the Lions under coach Carwyn James win a test series in 1971, and give the All Blacks a close-run test series victory over the John Dawes-coached team in 1977.
The year 1978 also holds particular significance. That was when Munster toppled the touring All Blacks 12-0.
‘‘I wasn’t at the game in 1978, but I knew people who were there,’’ John Scriven said.
Mary Hogan, from Cork, had a similar story: ’’My husband was there in 1978, but now half of Ireland say they were there.’’
As for the museum, there just wasn’t enough about a certain historic 40-29 clash on Chicago’s Soldier Field in 2016, said Hogan.
The Irish Lions supporter was in Limerick in April when the city hosted a world’s biggest scrum attempt, still to be ratified by the Guinness Book of Records. She saw it, but didn’t take part.
Palmerston North will attempt to beat the Limerick total of 1740 on Thursday.
Keiran O’callaghan also from Cork, enjoyed the stopover immensely. ‘‘It’s an absolutely fabulous collection – mind blowing – I’m flabbergasted by it. To have so much memorabilia displayed as well as this is fantastic.’’
O’callaghan liked the way the museum unfolded the New Zealand rugby story and said the presentation made the Kiwi fascination with the game even more intriguing.
Local rugby historian Clive Akers said the museum handled the influx of visitors well.