Road work interruptus, and schoolboy rugby brawls

On my way to work along the Auckland north-western motorway each day, I see a road sign that advises of impending road works. All of last week, it read “Road Works Past Gillies Ave from Monday 17 August”. Come Monday, it had changed to “Road Works Past Gillies Ave from Tuesday 18 August”. I started to feel sceptical. Sure enough, this morning the sign read “Road Works Past Gillies Ave from 24 August.” Fear not, dear reader, when 24 August arrives I will let you know the next random-and-doomed-to-remain-unfulfilled date that appears.

***

Bur first, a word on schoolboy rugby brawls. Actually, two words: who cares? On Sunday, the national television news programme I watch led with an item about two “top schools” having a brawl at a rugby game. The issue was debated on national radio programmes on Monday morning. The Herald website is still wittering on about it today, two days later. So there was a fight at the end of a school boy rugby game. Whoopee. Move on, media! Can this really be so important? You can guarantee that if the fight took place at two low decile schools in South Auckland, or perhaps anywhere else in the country, no-one outside the sports ground it took place on would know, or care. But because one school is Auckland Grammar, and the All Blacks coach Graham Henry happened to be there, somehow this becomes a story of national significance?  I think not.