How to prepare for double world cup year
Every four years, we get (male) rugby union and cricket world cups in the same calendar year. Depending on your level of emotional investment / and or physiological health, it means a year of tension, distraction and basically becoming a complete nightmare to be around.
Rather than hurtling unprepared into ground zero for basing your self worth on the performance of professional sportspeople, here's some simple steps you can take to survive and even grow during this period.
Tech management
Arguably, any year is a good year for a larger television, but two world cups? Siri, show me the fastest route to Harvey Norman. With Spark having rugby world cup rights, you need to test how your internet goes into your TV, now. And what about heat pumps, couch-side charging stations and emergency power backup, in case there's a blackout and we're five points down to France with three minutes left.
Anger management
You need to have a plan for if it all goes pear-shaped. Enjoying the big matches with loved ones is great, but if you're prone to excessive swearing, launching remotes or agonising three hour PowerPoint sessions reviewing Where The All Blacks Went Wrong, you might want to watch it in the back room or the bach.
Workplace management
Work place sport chat is great, but what if you find yourself holding your French / Australian / English mananger's head in the photocopier after one comment too many? It's a fine line between rugby banter and personal grievance - avoid testing conversations with a simple 'no comment', book a meeting room for the duration and work in there, or just call in sick for the whole thing.
Time management
At a bare minimum you need world cup wall charts in most rooms of the house (back of the loo door is pro level) for simply avoiding clashes with work trips or weddings etc. Think about viewing times and how you'll cope - you could be operating on very little sleep for long periods of time, so arrange any big work projects and / or life events for other, more emotionally stable times of the year.
With these building blocks in place, you might just make it through with your job / relationships / sanity in place. Probably most importantly, just remember sport is meant to be fun and you'll be fine. Enjoy!
Thanks for reading - Richard
The week's best NZ sport writing
ESPN profiles Steven Adams - seeing Americans cope with New Zealanders is fun [ESPN]
The dark side of Beauden and Hannah - Steve Deane has some confessions of an All Black wedding reporter to make [Newsroom]
So is YOUR computer hooked up to your TV? Get ready for loads of streaming sport chat as we head toward RWC this year [NZ Herald]
Dave Leggat meets the Black Sticks' Sam Charlton, as Hockey starts its Pro League [Locker Room]
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Selected weekend fixtures
The India v BLACKCAPS series heads to Bay Oval with matches on Saturday and Monday, both starting at 3pm - the White Ferns play India women again on Tuedsay at 2pm from the Bay also, it's all on SKY
In the Super Smash, the big one this weekend is 1 v 2 tonight with the Knights taking on the Stags at 7pm tonight from Napier, it's on SKY too
The Pro League Hockey starts on Sunday with our men's and women's teams in action on the North Shore, here are all the deets
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When you wake up thinking it's Friday when it's actually Saturday.
