Enthusiasm (or not) in the Manawatu!!!

This is just a photo update on the Manawatu game ( Georgia v Romania). There was a fantastic sell-out crowd as the local communities came out in support of both the Georgia and Romania teams!!

Plenty of creativity with the buckets!

To be fair, probably just exhausted from all efforts in the dressing up field!

Georgia supporters full of action!

Fabulous madness in the air!

There is quite a lot of madness in the air in NZ and also considerable joy! We are all caught up in one way or another in the World Cup Rugby Fever. Recently in a regional MOE office I witnessed wonderful playfulness and collective spirit in an office where all had been involved in drawing out a world cup team and gone onto decorate their office spaces. The office lunch room was bedecked in black and white bringing a sense of fun and engagement to all who entered the spaces. This wonderful madness is happening on many different levels throughout NZ society. 

 

 For me this is Fish! Philosophy in action. Playfulness is an attitude, people who are playful are also serious about their work and find ways to have fun doing it. People like this are creative and curious. In order to create these sorts of environments you need to be in places that are full of trust and free of fear.

Take a city like Palmerston North. They will host the Romania versus Georgia Game on September 28^th. For those of you who have watched any games in the Manawatu you will know about the green buckets! Many Manawatu Turbos fans wear green buckets on their heads to watch their side play. Manawatu has become known as bucket head country and they have added a bit of humour and the community will participate in a yellow versus red bucket occasion in their support of both Romania and Georgia.

 Destination Manawatu have ordered 5000 plastic buckets for fans going to the match in Palmerston North – 2500 in red for Georgia and 2500 in Romanian yellow. The buckets are part of a drive to encourage Palmerston North residents to back Romania, and Manawatu residents to support Georgia. Recently I was in Palmerston North and discovered the local township had even changed or should I say added additional street names e.g. Romania Street and Georgia Street. Fun is alive and well in Palmerston North. A community prepared to make extra effort to build a stronger sense of community to involve all in supporting overseas teams.