The first football trophy contested on planet Earth in 2014 has been won by a team with the curious moniker of Kick His Ass Seabass.
Every New Year's Eve, Italian-born football fanatic Stefano Virgili hosts the Virgili Cup, a round-robin four-a-side football competition. It takes place at "Kahoe Stadium", afootball field at the family's backpacker lodge north of Kaeo. The final is timed to take place just after midnight.
Instead of fans on the terraces, 20 or so supporters and cattle lowing noisily on the surrounding hills provided encouragement to the players.
Virgili said six teams took part in the 23rd annual event, a mixture of Kahoe Farms Hostel guests, friends and locals, representing all ages and 10 countries.
"The 12-minute games were contested in the usual competitive manner with that right balance of fun and team play - barefoot but with proper team colours, running on an immaculate miniature football pitch surrounded by grazing paddocks and naturally terraced hills," he said.
The final pitted Kick His Ass Seabass against Team Europa, the former emerging victorious from a 5-3 thriller.
The trophy was presented 20 minutes into 2014 and, Virgili claimed that thanks to the position of the international dateline, the Virgili Cup is almost certainly the first football trophy awarded each New Year.
