1. In your opinion, what was the purpose of this blogging activity? (Why did I choose to do blogging instead of more traditional writing activities?)

I think we did the blogging because it allows us to be more free in our writing. We got to choose the subject we wrote about which means we want to write about it. We don’t feel forced to write something. If we are force to write something we are not passionate about, it sounds very dull and doesn’t have any voice. I also think that you choose it because it gets us more familiar with blogs in case we use them later on in life. When we post a blog, it’s out there for the whole world to read, not just the teacher, they can comment on it , and give us suggestions on it, which further improves our writing even more.

2.  What have you accomplished during your blogging?

I learnt alot during the time we blogged. First of all, when we started, I had heard of a blog, but I wasn’t sure of what it was, or how to do one, so that is all new for me. Also, it helped me find out about the style that I naturally write in and what type of sentences I use naturally. Lastly, I found out what kind of writer I am because during classwe would go over our postings and review them.

3.   What key concepts have you learned while blogging? (This can be about writing, research or technology etc.)

As, I said before, I had next to no previous experience in blogging, so when we started, I was rushed by new knowledge about everything to do with blogs. How to connect to other blogs, and how to make it more available to people from all over the world are just part of what I learnt. Also, it helped me to improve my researching skills. You need to be well educated about the subject you are writing about in order to make the post sound interesting and beneficial to read.

4. Based on the skills you learned while blogging, how will this benefit you in the future? This maybe inside or outside of school.

To be honest, there is a 95% chance that I will never go back onto my blog, and it will most probably not affect my life outside of school. This however, does not mean that it was not greatly beneficial to my performance inside of school. It has helped me alot with writing essays and other papers. This is because it has helped me understand how I am comfortable writing e.g where I am, what is going on around me, and I can then go back to that place when I have to write another essay.

New Zealand and Australia are two countries in the Southern Hemisphere, they have a very confusing relationship that most outsiders will never understand.  They have the closest relationship than many other countries; the people completely hate each other but then also greatly respect them and are good mates with them. As my god-father is an Aussie, and I am from New Zealand, I am really familiar with this. Australian’s and New Zealanders are almost exactly the same, but yet we are completely different. Sport is probably the main reason the two countries are so competitive, and the two national rugby teams are definitely at the head of this.

The Wallabies from Australia and the All Blacks from New Zealand have been intense rivals since the creation of their nations rugby unions in 1883 and 1892 respectively. The first ever match played between the two teams was on the 15^th of August 1903 in Sydney, Australia, and the All Blacks won the game 22-3. Here are the stats for the games they’ve played

Played 155 :

New Zealand 105,

Australia 45,

Drawn 5

Every year, New Zealand competes in three main tournaments. The first is the Tri-Nations series, this is a tournament between three of the best teams in the rugby world, New Zealand, Australia, and South Africa. Each team plays the other teams three times each, and after each game you get awarded points for how well you did, 4 for a win, 2 for a draw, and 0 if you lose. Also, you can be awarded one bonus point for scoring four or more tries in the match, regardless of the final result of the match, and by losing by seven points (a converted try) or fewer.

The Bledisloe Cup is a cup contested for by the All Blacks and the Wallabies, that is semi-integrated into the Tri-Nations. The teams play each other four times, three that are included in the Tri-Nations, and then one more time after that. After each tournament, the winning side gets to keep the cup until next year.  In total New Zealand has won the title 37 times, compared to Australia’s 12 times. Also Longest time held by Australia was 5 years, it for New Zealand it is 27 years.

The last tournament is the Super 14, which is actually held before the Tri-Nations and Bledisloe Cup. The Super 14 is a round-robin tournament which is the largest rugby union football club championship in the southern hemisphere. It is a tournament consisting of 14 provincial teams from New Zealand , Australia, and South Africa. There are 5 teams from New Zealand, 5 from South Africa, and 4 from Australia. It was previously called the Super 12 until two new teams were added, one from Australia and one from South Africa. It has the same point scoring system as the Tri-Nations does, and each team plays every other team once with the team with the most points at the end being declared the winner.

There are 3 different varients of the game rugby. They are Rugby Union, Rugby League, and Rugby Sevens. Rugby Union is the most well known and popular of the three. When somebody says rugby, they are most usually talking about Rugby Union, and they say Rugby League or Rugby Sevens when talking about the other forms respectively. Rugby League is also often called “footy”.

Rugby Sevens

Rugby Sevens is a more fast paced version of rugby union. It is almost excactly the same except for the fact that there are only seven players on a team at a time, which calls for a lot more running. This means that all the players, including the forwards are not that big, have a very high endurance, and can be trusted to run fast. Tackling is extremely important in this game. Because of the small amount of players, and the fact that the players are amazingly fast, there is 95% odds that the player will score a try.

Rules

In Union, there are 15 players on a team. It has no limit to the amount of times you can be tackled, and if you get tackled to the ground, play continues without stopping. There are contested scrums, and if the ball goes out of the field there is a line-out.

In League, there are just 13 players on a team. After the attacking team gets tackled to the ground 6 times, it results in a turnover. Once you get tackled, you stand up, and roll the ball under you with your foot to a player standing behind you. If there is a scrum, they are un-contested, which means the two forwards packs do not compete against each other for control of the ball. Also, if the balls go’s out of the feild of play, there is a scum. They do not do a line out like in rugby union.

Players

A maximum of 15 players can play rugby union at any one time whereas rugby league permits 13 players.

Many of the positions have similar names but in practice are very different. The position known as ‘flanker’ has no equivalent in rugby league; rugby league centres are split into left and right centre rather than inside and outside centres.

The Maori war dance that the New Zealand All Blacks do before every match.

Rugby is a full contact, team sport, played by two sides of 15. It is most prominent in southern hemisphere countries like New Zealand, Australia, and South Africa, and European countries like England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, Italy, and France. The object of the game is to get more points than the other team. It is played on a grass field that is always 100 meters long, the width varies, but it is never more than 70 meters. The field has two trylines at each end, and two sidelines.

To score points in rugby, you can either score a try, conversion, penalty kick, or drop goal.

Try – When a player touches the ball down over the oppositions try line.   Worth 5 points

Conversion – Taken after a try. A player kicks the ball off a tee and trys to get it over the goal post. Worth 2 points

Drop Goal – During play, a player drop kicks the ball over the goal posts. Worth 2 points

 The team is made up of 15 players; each plays a different role in the team. They are split into two categories, Forwards and Backs. Each position has a certain number that is worn of the back of the uniform to identify the play. I will do more in depth about the positions later, this is just a quick overview.

       Forwards                                    Backs

1.   Prop                                      9. Half Back

2.   Hooker                                10. Fly Half

3.   Prop                                    11. Wing

4.   Lock                                    12. Inside Centre

5.   Lock                                    13. Outside Centre

6.   Flanker                                14. Wing

7.   Flanker                                15. Fullback

8.   Number Eight

To score points, players pass the ball to each other while running towards the try line, but the other team is trying to stop them by tackling. You can only pass the ball backwards, so as to not make the game to easy. If a player drops or knocks the ball out of their hands, and it goes forward, it results in a scrum. A scrum is a set play when the forward pack of each team come together and tries to push each other off the ball.

When the ball goes out of bounds, there is a lineout. The team that didn’t make the ball go out gets to throw it in. A lineout is when the forwards of each team line up one meter apart, the hooker of the team who was awarded the line out throws the ball in between the two lines while the teams contest for the ball. Usually the locks are lifted up to try and get it.

There are alot of other rules in rugby, but it is generally a fast paced game. For example, you are not a loud to tackle someone above the shoulders,  and over vigorous rucking is penalized.

The Dictionary.com definition of music is – an art of sound in time that expresses ideas and emotions in significant forms through the elements of rhythm, melody, harmony, and color. To me its alot more than this, its a way to relieve stress, and also the only way to get a party started. Its what helps me concetrate working, and it also fires up my creativity. I have been playing the drums and listening to music since I was 5, so it has been I have been familiar with it for practically my whole life. I personally think, that if someone that doesn’t have music as a big part of their life, is missing out on alot. By looking at what music someone has on their iPod you can tell nearly everything about their personality. Alot of singers nowadays, especially rappers from bad backgrounds, talk about how music gave them the motivation, strength, and opportunity to get off the streets and to make something of their lives. To conclude, i think everyone should have music play a part in their lives. It helps build someones personality, creativity, and uniqueness. It is a safe place for probably nearly half the world, and everybody would be lost without it.