Soccer superstar David Beckham landed in a rugby stronghold yesterday but it was hardly enemy territory as hundreds of fans gave him a rapturous welcome in New Zealand's capital.
Beckham and his Los Angeles Galaxy team arrived in Wellington for a friendly game against local side Wellington Phoenix tomorrow, following their 5-3 loss to Sydney on Tuesday night.
They were given a traditional welcome by indigenous Maori performers, in a first for the global celebrity.
"We were honored by the welcome we received today, it's incredible," Beckham told a press conference at the team hotel.
Watching the All Blacks play rugby had already given him respect for the haka war challenge.
"I'd love to stand in front of the All Blacks and see them do it," he said.
The hundreds of fans at the airport, many of them teenage girls, didn't seem too focused on tomorrow's match, calling out: "We love you David".
"I kissed him," one young woman said. "He seemed quite shy, a real cutie. I need a cigarette and a whisky now."
Beckham has been delighted with the adulation of fans in Australia and New Zealand on the short Galaxy tour.
"It's amazing, we have gone through this trip and the love and passion we've been shown by the people has been incredible so far," he said.
Although much of the interest in Beckham is for his status as a style icon and global celebrity, he is hoping soccer will get a boost in a country where rugby is "notoriously big," he said.
"I hope we can change that just for one day and hopefully going forward," Beckham said.
The England international may get his wish with 15,000 school children expected to watch the Galaxy train today.
"To have 15,000 kids and people who want to come and watch us train, I'm not sure I've had that before," he said.
The match is expected to come close to selling out the 34,500-seat Westpac Stadium in Wellington and to break the attendance record for a New Zealand soccer match.
Beckham said he was excited about tomorrow's match, although the home team will include a number of second-string players after playing a regular Australian A League match tonight.
He is hoping to play 90 minutes in the friendly and repeat his trademark Bend it like Beckham goal from a free kick which lit up the Sydney match for 80,000 fans.
The lights dimmed and the crowd hushed as Karoline Kristensen entered for her performance. However, this was no ordinary Dutch theater: The temperature was 80°C and the audience naked apart from a towel. Dressed in a swimsuit and to the tune of emotional music, the 21-year-old Kristensen started her routine, performed inside a large sauna, with a bed of hot rocks in the middle. For a week this month, a group of wellness practitioners, called “sauna masters,” are gathering at a picturesque health resort in the Netherlands to compete in this year’s Aufguss world sauna championships. The practice takes its name from a
Roger Federer on Wednesday said that staying involved with tennis in retirement helped him avoid feeling “like an alien” ahead of this week’s Laver Cup in Berlin. Federer, who helped create the tournament, retired at the Laver Cup in London two years ago and has since stayed involved with the competition as an ambassador. “I’m happy I went back right away to some tournaments,” the 43-year-old told reporters. “I feel I ripped the Band-Aid off quite quickly and when I walk around the tennis sites I still feel I belong there,” he said. “I don’t feel like an alien, which is a
Japanese players are moving to English soccer in record numbers and more look set to follow with clubs attracted by their quality, strong work ethic and value for money. Kaoru Mitoma is the standout talent of five Japanese players in the English Premier League, with eight more in the Championship and two in League One. Liverpool midfielder Wataru Endo, the captain of Japan, believes his compatriots are “being held in higher esteem” by English clubs compared with the past. “The staff at Liverpool ask me about lots of Japanese players, not necessarily with a view to a transfer, but just saying this or
Taiwan yesterday survived Bosnia and Herzegovina to win their Davis Cup World Group I tie at the Taipei Tennis Center. The tight series started on Saturday with world No. 123 Jason Tseng losing 3-6, 7-5, 6-4 to Mirza Basic in the opening singles matchup. However, teammate Tony Wu kept the tie even, dominating world No. 86 Damir Dzumhur 6-2, 6-1. Yesterday, 24-year-old Ray Ho and partner 25-year-old Hsu Yu-hsiou kept up the momentum, making short work of Basic and Nerman Fatic, winning 6-3, 6-4. Tseng then suffered another defeat, losing 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 to Dzumhur in a brutal match that lasted more than two
RSS