ALL WHITES MAKING HISTORY.

Today I am in the shadow of the Beehive. No? It's the New Zealand Parliamentary Building in Wellington. Been in a little Italian restaurant  nearby, ,run by a Kiwi and some orientals, all serving delicious Italian grub with associated brilliant New Zealand wines.

Sport? Well the owner, who is of an age, played for the All Blacks, we discovered, and if you don't engaged people, then you don't find out. This man played for the New Zealand international rugby side around about the time that I was on a teaching exchange in Christchurch, just after the 1982 World Cup (Soccer).

You may remember-of course you won't- that NZ got to the final stages on the WC'82 and were plonked in a remarkable group with Scotland, USSR and Brazil. The All Whites, very much in fourth slot.

To get to the finals in Spain, NZ had to play through Indonesia, Taiwan, Fiji and Australia and THEN qualify against China, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. No mean feat.

In Spain, it was very much what the bookies predicted with Scotland thumping the All Whites 5-2 with Strachan, Wark 2 goals and Dalglish in the mix. NZ got the game back to 3-2 at one point with goals from Sumner and Woodin.

Brazil won 4-0, as Zico ran a mock and theN USSR won 3-0. Getting a goal off Scotland was the major achievement, so the Kiwis went home with some pride. Soccer still plays second fiddle to rugby of course, but in every corner of every nation there is a glimmer of soccer success and hope for the next time, even with footballers from Miramar Rangers, Invercargill Thistle and Gisborne City!