Opinion: An exciting time to be a sports fan

The 2005 Lions tour match against Bay of Plenty in Rotorua. Photo/File

It's an exciting time for Kiwi sports fans, with two big events under way that don't come around every day - the Lions tour and the America's Cup.

There was a media frenzy when the Lions touched down at Auckland Airport yesterday, with live updates following their every move - down to when their luggage was being loaded onto a convoy of small trucks. Which was good to know - we'd hate them to arrive without their boots.

It's debatable whether our love of rugby is as strong or all-encompassing as it used to be. But a Lions tour is something special. Whether it's the rare chance to play against the best the British Isles has to offer or the infectious joy the 20,000-strong Barmy Army brings with it - they seem to suck people in, hard-core rugby fans and otherwise.

Those in the Bay of Plenty will remember when the Lions opened their 2005 tour against the Steamers in Rotorua. But my first Lions' memory goes further back.

The British Lions tour of New Zealand in 1993 was the last of the sport's amateur era. On a chilly Wednesday in June they played Taranaki at New Plymouth's Rugby Park. I don't recall the score (a 49-25 Lions' win, thanks Google) but I have vivid memories of that day - not least because all schools had closed at lunchtime so we could go to the game. I remember fighting for loaves of bread during the famous halftime bread chuck - a 'Naki tradition I am delighted to hear continues to this day. Even as kids we knew it was a big deal and 24 years later I still remember it.

Over the coming weeks another generation of Kiwi kids will experience that, and the best part is that Rotorua will again be in the thick of it.

But while I have my rugby tickets ready, the America's Cup for me is likely to be more of a slow-burner, with little attention paid to the races so far.

But if previous years are anything to go by, that will change as we get to the business end of the regatta. Like Lions' tours, the America's Cup has some inexplicable force that seems to draw the country in, despite many of us never having been on a yacht in our lives.

Sure, there are more important things in life than sport. But when it brings such excitement, joy, camaraderie and sense of pride to so many people - it's well worth giving in to the hype.