Football will never be given government/sports funding because it threatens Rugby. Rugby is one of the very few things we are known internationally for and is used by Tourism NZ and the Governemnt to represent and promote NZ over seas. Look at that giant rugby ball for example... its pretty sad really. We have a wealth of depth and talent in all codes for such a small country, but we will never be able to dominate global sport or even the Olympics because of the way funding is given out. And the government will never budge.

What a great achievement by the boys. Every kiwi I talk to here and my mates back home are stoked with this. This is the first I have heard of any issues between rugby and football, and there shouldnt be. I also didnt get to see the game but seems a strange comment by Fallon to take a shot at union. Kiwis are sports mad, and love to see our teams succeed. There is talk about funding the teams here, but if anything funding should be going to teams like our softball team, 3 times world champs before losing it last time. they had to pay for there own flights and accomodation to win it in South Africa. The whole debate seems strange. Weather people like it or not, rugby is our national sport. We are consistently ranked 1-2 in the world, which is good for a country of 4 million people. Rugby is a global game and the WC is the 3rd biggest sporting event in the world behind football and the olympics. Football is much bigger but we are never going to be the best. Support the lads next year in South Africa, support the bpys in NZ in 2011, support the league boys in 2012. Thats what kiwis do, we support our own, and cheer on our sports teams, no matter what sport it is. Anyone knocking either sport, rugby or football, grow up, it shouldnt be a competition between the two.

#106 - Flutter - Wellington football will improve from the top down rather than bottom up. It should take its opportunity to become the football powerhouse in NZ, despite the strong sides Auckland still puts out.

Those who are trying to compare the Football World Cup to the Rugby World Cup!! Desperate or Bizarre to do so but I will address this. 4 have won RWC, 6 could win it. 7 have won FWC, but any number of teams could win it. When a powerhouse and past winner like Argentina struggles to even qualify, you know its damn strong. If you look at the top 4 for every cup, there are some pretty big differences from year to year. Yes Brazil and Germany are always amongst the favourites, but of course as they are quality. There are about 25 teams who could potentially win the cup each year and many do not even qualify for the main event! Of the 32 who have this year, about 12 this year would have realistic chances. I would say Ireland have about as much chance of winning the FWC as the RWC. Greece upset all the big guns to win Euro 2006. This has not happened in a FWC yet but that doesn't mean it wont. Also teams like Spain and Portugal are much stronger now and are a real chance. Spain are favourites and they have not yet won one. Australia were very unlucky v Italy in the last world cup and Italy went on to win it! So lets use our brains and acknowledge that the FWC is far more interesting from a "who could win" perspective.

What do registrations matter, except to show pockets of interest!! Football and Basketball are global games. Rugby is not. A global game is where teams from all over the world can compete with each other ie in Football Spain v Ivory Coast v Argentina v Mexico v Australia v Korea - a WORLDWIDE international game. If China and Germany dont play it at any decent level, then that gives you a pretty good hint!! Duh! Have there been any team that has actually broken into the top several outside those already named? In Rugby you only have SANZAR, France/Italy, Britain and Argentina!!

The comparison is really about how the 35,000+ fans cheered for the All Whites and the atmosphere in Westpac Stadium for that event. Sadly, the way rugby is being played nowadays, it is slowly becoming very boring with more kicking and teams now opting to kick penalty goals rather then going for a try. This resulted with games being more of a silent retreat rather than the defeaning crowds we had for that game. But also credit must be given to the Yellow Fever who converted themselves to be the White Noise for that night. Rugby should have some fanatics like the Wellington Phoenix to make the game a bit more interesting and draw the crowds again.

dudes...we are a sport made country. I like any damn sport whether is is rugby, soccer, badminton ..blah blah..Remember NZ is damn good at most sports. The most important thing is to challenge your self and go and support whatever code is played in this magnificant country of ours. I will support my 2 year boy in whatever sport he chooses later on in his life..even it is the rock, paper sizzors championships. This football vrs rugby stuff is nonsense isnt it..c'mon guys and ladies be proud of whatever sport, music group you follow - pride and passion beats paranoia anyday!

@ Alan #90 - you say that only four teams have a realistic chance of winning the world cup and you may be true in saying that but the same applies to football, in 17 world cups there have been what maybe 6 or 7 winners at best and it has pretty much been dominated by Italy, Brazil or Germany. I play rugby and I dont really care that it isn't perceived as a global game and I dont think many supporters do either. The beauty about rugby is it is a game for all shapes and sizes. Rugby will never have the global dominance that football has and that is a given. But rugby isn't that much of a small fry when you consider that the RWC is the 4th biggest sporting event watched in the world, that not that bad.

Plus everyone knows you were only cool at school if you played in the 1st XV, haha only joking.

Good luck for 2010, Go All Whites!!!!! ( Hey I like rugby but I found that real easy to say)

@63

Wellington has hosted an epic football event. Wellington has a professional football club. This doesn't necessarily make Wellington to be the powerhouse of football in NZ. To sustain long term, pool of junior and youth players needs to be developed and competing in good leagues. In Wellington, there is a severe dislocation when schools take over the 15-19 yaer old junior leagues. The effect of this mistake will be felt when the number of players at national players dwindle. Time to have a unified league when ALL junior and youth players compete together irrespective of whether they want to play for their clubs or colleges.

@Alan 92 "Just for comparison's sake there are only 95 officially ranked countries on the IRB website" - yes while this is not anywhere near the 200 odd countries registered by FIFA I would still say it is a large chunk of the globe, therefore making Rugby a global sport, no? How many teams can win a world cup is really a weak argument, as by your own "statistics" (in your previous comment) 4 out of 95 countries can win the RWC, or 4% and 12 out of 203 the FWC, or 6% - thats not much of a difference. Although I do think you underestimate some nations, in my opinion there are 5-7 countries that could win a world cup - NZ, SA, Aust, Eng, France and possibly Ireland and Argentina. As for 7's - if you watch the competition you will see how competitive teams are becoming and there is any number of teams capable ow winning. Fact is (based on participant & viewer numbers) soccer is the biggest sport in the world (about 3.5b), followed closely by cricket (3b) then probably field hockey or tennis, but that should not get in the way of the fact theat NZ punches way above its weight in rugby for a country of our size. I think it is great that the All Whites have qualified, but lets not run down rugby - we are so good at rugby as a nation, lets be proud of that instead of constantly whinging that football is larger worldwide

I don't see why there is this debate... rubbish really - be proud of the country's achievements! Celebrate it! This is 27 years coming... There's no 'rugby's better...' or 'football's better...' - that argument has no grounds, you're chasing your tail there... grow up New Zealand and enjoy the moment!

- Proud Overseas Supporter of any New Zealand sport.

@ Alan #90

NZ, Australia, South Africa, England, France & Ireland. That's 6, 4 of whom have already won it since it started in 1987. The Soccer world cup started in 1930 and has only been won by 7 countries. Not so different?

@ Tobe #99

Unverifiable? The official IRB link is at the bottom of my post. I can't find any stats to back up your opinion that Basketball and Volleyball are more global than Rugby, care to provide some backup to that? Iran 0 (no registered union), Germany 10,000 and China 4,000. It's all right there in the link I provided. Here it is again so you don't miss it http://www.irb.com/unions/index.html

@ Alan & Tobe

I never said or implied that rugby was anywhere near the size that soccer is globally, all I implied was that it is definitely a global sport compared to most of the sports that Brett Dale #70 listed. Yes, as I admitted, soccer is far and above the most popular sport world wide but unless it is the only sport being played world wide then rugby is a global sport. Soccer fans simply have to find another stick to throw at rugby, this ones broken.