I'll assume it's a "British thing" and leave it at that

Well, then, it's been a while, hasn't it! Last Saturday I attended the Bledisloe Cup Rugby Test Match between New Zealand and Australia.  The NZ All Blacks trounced the Aussies, both winning the game and (in my opinion) winning the fight that broke out of the field.  The weather, true to form for this lovely town, was abysmal.  The wind in the stadium actually swirls like a tornado, so when the ball is kicked it is likely to go sideways and backwards.  (This could have contributed to NZ's win, as those types of conditions are tough for visiting teams to replicate.)  Our seats were uncovered - it was cold and wet, and by the second half even my underwear was wet.  Thankfully, we had a couple of warm beers purchased at exorbitant prices to help pass the time (!)  Complaining aside, the game really was awesome, and I look forward to catching a few more international tests before I leave next year.  No- I have no idea why they call them tests, I mean it's a real game, not a practice, but since they call them Cricket tests, too, I'll assume it's a "British thing" and leave it at that.