Dave Gee: Life from Right Field

The All Blacks may have lost their crucial Tri-Nations rugby test against the Springboks at Carisbrook (28-30, for anyone who missed it), but their namesakes in Dunedin's 5th Bottom Bus Nude Rugby International came out on top, 17-5.

Billed as the unofficial curtain raiser to the All Blacks v South Africa night test, the nude touch rugby game made a return after a 3 year absence. Carisbrook Stadium last hosted test match rugby in 2005, with South Africa and the Lions.

Despite gloomy weather predictions from the forecasters, Saturday proved to be almost balmy conditions for both rugby games. The naked rugby game was played in "comfortable" conditions of 15 degrees... considerably warmer than some of the previous naked matches played in wintry Dunedin.

Two teams of mostly local rugby buffs stripped off for the game, organised by South Island backpacker touring company Bottom Bus. Player names and numbers painted on their backs helped the nude players identify their respective team-mates.

There was a disappointing lack of representation from Bottom Bus's own tour groups this year, with the weekend's crowd of visiting backpackers preferring to cheer on the hardy local lads, rather than stripping off for the 20 minute game themselves. Veteran player Dave Bourke, a Dunedin cycle courier, celebrated his 5th nude rugby international.

Just one female was brave enough to join the boys for the nude game at St Kilda beach... the American international student coming "off the bench" halfway through the game, after an injury forced a leading player off.

The game ended with a quick dip in the surf as the players chased a wayward rugby ball, and an apparent scoreline of 17-5 to the "Nude Blacks" (although noone's quite sure...)