New Zealand have won their first game at the rugby World Cup - the parliamentarians' rugby world cup, that is.
The New Zealand team, with a solid base of MPs, parliamentary service workers and ring-ins, including two former All Blacks, thrashed the best South Africa could line up, 43-5, at ManlyOval in Sydney today.
The New Zealand team, spearheaded by National's Murray McCully and Labour's Damien O'Connor, won the parliamentarians' World Cup in South Africa in 1995 and defended the title in Britain in 1999.
Their tournament is traditionally held before the real rugby World Cup starts, every four years.
Former All Blacks Richie Guy, 62, and Chris Laidlaw, 59, both showed their fitness, lasting three-quarters of the match, with Laidlaw distinguishing himself with a conversion.
Former Wellington fullback Brian Cederwall also kicked a conversion.
The sole parliamentarian to score a try was Rakaia MP Brian Connell. Other MPs on the tour are John Carter, Edwin Perry, Nick Smith and Ron Mark.
South Africa scored the first try of the match, but after that it was all New Zealand. Try scorers were Michael Watson (2), Craig Walker (2), Mos Noanoa and Connell.
Laidlaw, Cederwall, Scott Devine (2) and Jack Tarrant kicked the conversions and Tarrant added a field goal.
The team's next game is against Ireland in Sydney on Friday. The tournament winds up in Canberra early next week.
