Rugby League Four Nations Tournament 2010 + Casula Powerhouse Body Pacifica Calendar

It's the holidays, which means its time for what one J's Theater reader once charitably called "rugby porn." Not real pornography, of course, just shots of ruggers running, tackling, scoring...and whatever else it is they do on the field. This year's Gillette Rugby League Four Nations tournament occurred in Australia and New Zealand in October and November 2010, months in which I was working diligently and postly lightly. This year's participants were Australia, New Zealand, England, and the winners of the 2009 Pacific Cup, Papua New Guinea.

I'll skip all the tournament round-robin play, which amounted to 7 games, to say that the final pitted Australia against New Zealand, and the Kiwis won in a shocker to the dominant Aussie team, 16-12.  And now, that means photos!

Sam Thaiday of Australia

England's side

Frank-Paul Nuuausala of the Kiwis

Kiwi Shaun Kenny-Dowell being tackled by Michael Mark of Papua New Guinea

Paul Aiton of PNG being tackled by Kangaroos

Kangaroo Lote Tuqiri, vs. PNG

Paul Aiton of PNG facing England

PNG celebrating

Kiwis' Benji Marshall, against England

Papuans getting love from a fan

Aussies tackle an Englishman

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On a related but different note, a while back a friend in New Zealand alerted me and other sports fans about the Australian Casula Powerhouse's Body Pacifica 2010 calendar, which coincided with a June 25-August 2010 (winter in Australia) exhibit, as well as a 3-day weekend festival in June, celebrating "island culture." I can't speak to the exhibit itself or how well or poorly it was pulled off, whether it trafficked in exoticism and so forth, but my friend sent the link to the Body Pacifica calendar, which features Pacific Islander ruggers, including Frank Puletua, shown above, in what I thought was a surprising light, not posed in rugby gear, but as they themselves wanted to be depicted. A few shots of the calendar below (it's huge), and worth picking up!