Settle the score: Ireland v New Zealand, which country is the real home of Rugby Union? Photo / Getty Images
Settle the score: Ireland v New Zealand, which country is the real home of Rugby Union? Photo / Getty Images
In spite of placement on opposite sides of the globe, there are many sporting ties that join Ireland to Aotearoa.
When the All Blacks face off against the All Blacks at Eden Park on Saturday we'll hear not one but three anthems written by Irish bards. God Defend New Zealand,written by Irish ex-pat Thomas Bracken, will answer "Ireland's Call" - and likely be joined by a number of other colourful refrains throughout.
Beyond the superficial similarities between the Motu, united by a passion for rugby Union, there are plenty of deeper links. It's a recipe for instant kinship and sibling rivalry.
In the spirit of competition, we look at the ties and rivalries to rate the two countries' offerings for sports tourists.
Ireland claims to be the home of international rugby. New Zealand begs to differ.
The Headquarters of World Rugby are in Dublin. World rugby house in Pembroke street is a bastion for the rules and from where they have been handing out the Webb Ellis Cup since 1987. Three times to New Zealand - not that we're keeping score.
Although Rugby House is supposedly the "home of Rugby Union" there hasn't really been a place for pilgrims to pay their respects to the sport in Ireland, until now.
Later this year Ireland is opening a €30 million ($50 million) rugby experience in County Limerick.
After delays the International Rugby Experience in Limerick is slated to open late 2022.
The purpose-built museum will lead visitors on an experience starting from the top of the towers and dropping in on areas celebrating different aspects and stories from the game. This includes sporting legends and facets of the sport including wheelchair rugby.
The museum has already converted some rugby novices to the sport including comedian Bill Murray, who visited the site on a tour of Limerick last week.
The International Rugby Experience opens in Limerick this year. Photo / Níall McLaughlin Architects
With space for 100,000 visitors the centre aims to be "a global celebration of rugby, the stories of amateur and professional era figures" from across world rugby. internationalrugbyexperience.com
Before you chalk up the scores, it's worth making a trip to the Manawatu and The New Zealand Rugby Museum.
New Zealand claims to have the world's oldest museum dedicated to the oval ball in Palmerston North. For the past five decades, the NZ Rugby Museum has been enthusing about the rugby football code to visitors.
Perhaps the best-loved part of the museum is the Have a Go area, where visitors of all ages can put their scrum-down experience against the pads to see if they have what it takes to be an All Black. More modest in scale than Limerick's new offering, this didn't stop it from seeing 10,000 visitors a week during the 2011 rugby world cup.
A more recent Kiwi Rugby attraction is the All Black Experience in Auckland. Based out the of the Sky City exhibition centre, visitors can take the 45 minute tour through the sporting history of the All Blacks and Black Ferns. With interactive elements, a highlight is facing down the full force of a holographic Haka. experienceallblacks.com
The All Blacks Experience at Sky City Auckland, Supplied
Aviva Stadium, Dublin
The Lansdowne Road Stadium in Dublin has been the home of Irish Rugby since 2010.
The see-through nest has seats of 51,700 and in the past decade has seen many historic clashes. It was also home to the first defeat of the All Blacks by an Irish National team in 2016.
Sadly the stadium no longer offers independent tours so there is little to visit for tourists and your best chance of experiencing the stadium is during a fixture.
A surprising number of rugby pilgrims from New Zealand find their way to Thomond Park, Munster. Despite being half the size it holds a unique bit of rugby history as the first and most significant defeat of the touring Kiwis 12-0 in 1978. What adds to the ignominy was the loss was not against the national side but the local club. It's a moment that holds pride of place in the stadium museum. thomondpark.ie
Camp out in Eden Park, the home of New Zealand Rugby. Photo / Supplied Canopy Camping
Eden Park, Auckland
At the bottom of Mt Eden Maungawhau is the bastion of New Zealand Rugby - Eden Park still offers tours for fans and a chance to step on 'Hallowed Turf', in their words.
It's your chance to step in the stud marks of sporting greats and the 2011 World Cup victory.
A more unique experience for rugby fans is the opportunity to spend the night, sleeping out in the stadium glamping domes. edenpark.co.nz
