Chris Masoe and the handbag
Posted on 06/03/2006 7:10:11 PM PDT by sully777
SYDNEY (Reuters) - New Zealand rugby fans are bidding thousands of dollars for the chance to own the handbag that reduced a burly All Blacks player to tears.
In one of the more bizarre off-field sporting incidents, former New Zealand captain Tana Umaga tangled with Hurricanes club team mate Chris Masoe in a nightclub after losing the prestigious Super 14 tournament final last Saturday.
Masoe, who has played two tests for New Zealand, tripped over a man's feet in the Jolly Poacher bar in Christchurch early last Sunday and then hit the unidentified man in retaliation.
Umaga, one of New Zealand's greatest players who played 74 tests for the All Blacks, stepped in to break up the scuffle, picking up a woman's handbag and hitting Masoe twice over the head.
Rugby players are among the toughest in sport, regularly ignoring the pain of dislocations, head cuts and other aches and sprains but being hit with a handbag was too much for a tired and emotional Masoe.
The hefty 1.83 m, 106 kg (233 lb) Samoan-born forward dissolved into tears, New Zealand media reported this week.
Adding to the indignity, rugby officials fined him NZ$3,000 ($1,890) after an inquiry into the incident but let Umaga off because he was trying to calm things down.
The unidentified woman who owns the small black handbag has put it up for sale, as well as a broken cell phone that was inside it.
The Trade Me Web site (www.trademe.co.nz) had received 71 bids for the handbag and phone by Friday, the latest offering NZ$5,500.
"Is there any guarantee hitting someone with this will make them cry?" one potential bidder asked on the Web site.
"Does it come with any makeup included? Do you have any matching belts or shoes?" asked another.
Probably brought back memories of his mom, hitting him with her handbag.
If I'm Chris Masoe, I kill myself right now and avoid any further humiliation.
I could have used one of those back in my schoolboy rugby games. Kiwi players were always scary - even at schoolboy level. Even the pakeha ones.
Are there any Caucasians on the All Blacks team?
It remined him of the break up with his last boy friend.
Remined= reminded
Yes there are - the name refers to their uniforms, and while there are a high proportion of Maori players, as well as some other Pacific Islanders, there are plenty of New Zealanders of European extraction as well.
Fair enough - but I've heard the question seriously asked at times - normally by people who haven't seen what they wear when playing which makes it kind of obvious where the name came from.
Crying? There's no crying in rugby!
I didn't know that John Kerry played rugby.
"Rugby players are among the toughest in sport, regularly ignoring the pain of dislocations, head cuts and other aches and sprains but being hit with a handbag was too much for a tired and emotional Masoe."
The most valuable player on my rugby team was this veterinarian. And not because of his prowess on the pitch. Rather, it was his ability to stitch us up (without anesthesia)and set broken noses during matches so we could go back out to play.
I would punt.
LOL! (Boy, does that photo bring back memories.)
Basically All Blacks is just the nickname for the New Zealand senior national rugby team. And yep, there have been plenty of European players in the AB.
We do have All Whites as well - it is the NZ national soccer team.
It is reported that the shot put ball that was in the purse, however, is fine.
Want a Walnetto?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.