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Home / Sport

Watch: Kiwi as! Punter's epic DIY Rugby World Cup flat grandstand

Heath Moore
By Heath Moore
NZ Herald·
21 Oct, 2019 07:27 PM3 mins to read

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Kiwi as! Punter's epic DIY Rugby World Cup grandstand in flat. Video / David O'Brien
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Kiwis are known for their number 8 wired, do it yourself attitude when it comes to completing a home project.

They're also known for their love of rugby. So when you mix the two together, you get one incredible rugby grandstand.

That was the case for Auckland resident target="_blank">David O'Brien when he decided his flat wasn't complete without its very own lounge grandstand for the ultimate rugby viewing experience.

Wanting to make his flatmates' Rugby World Cup a little more special, O'Brien decided to utilise his work's concert subs, and the flat couches, to create a three-level stand Eden Park's architects would be proud of.

The end product!
The end product!
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"For the last world cup I did a similar thing but on a smaller scale in one of our first flats on Dominion Rd," he told the Herald.

"Last time I winged it and fortunately it turned out great but this time I put a bit more thought into it and did some measurements of the couches.

"The grandstand is built on top of high-end concert subwoofers made by L'acoustics.

"They're what is used at Western Springs and Spark Arena. They're incredibly sturdy and are purposely built to be stacked and can take a lot of weight. They weigh 120kg each.

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"For the screen, we have a projector with a home built screen made out of two by four with a real projector screen skin stretched over it making it a 90-inch screen."

READ MORE:
• 2019 Rugby World Cup: Brodie Retallick hits back at English writer in All Blacks press conference
• 2019 Rugby World Cup: All Blacks midfielder Sonny Bill Williams linked to coaching role with NRL club Sydney Roosters
• 2019 Rugby World Cup: World Rugby probing referee Jaco Peyper's pic with fans as Gatland defends 'joke'
• 2019 Rugby World Cup: Kiwi Raelene Castle labels Wallabies' performance under Michael Cheika as 'incredibly disappointing'

After spending hours putting it together, the job was finally completed. While the video only captures 1.5 hours of work, O'Brien explained most of the morning was spent moving subs and manoeuvring couches through doors before being able to piece it all together.

Before.
Before.
Lay the foundations.
Lay the foundations.
Coming along nicely.
Coming along nicely.

After completion, the grandstand can fit 28 people comfortably, with capacity reaching 34. While it might not hold as much room as New Zealand's national stadium, a number of friends and family have labelled it the country's best stand.

Discover more

Rugby World Cup

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21 Oct 09:01 PM
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22 Oct 05:15 PM
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22 Oct 01:45 AM
The end product!
The end product!

"This is the best thing since Betty White. Dad thinks it's a hoot, but generally everyone's all for it," the Auckland resident said.

"Hopefully it sparks a few people to try and do it in their lounge. It does turn the lounge into a dark cave though but on the plus side you get to vacuum everywhere."

While the grandstand reaches the ceiling, O'Brien says that won't hold him back for his next grand plan.

"One day I'll get a ceiling height that can do a four-tier one and I think that'll be the peak."

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