Absolutely positively nervous

Auckland City Mayor John Banks today laid down a challenge to Wellington Mayor Kerry Prendergast over the invincibility of the Auckland rugby team.

Mr Banks' challenge sees him raising the Wellington rugby flag above the Auckland Town Hall for a week if Wellington wins the NPC, on the condition that his mayoral counterpart agrees to fly the Auckland rugby flag above the capital’s old town hall for a week following Auckland doing the expected.

"This challenge will make Kerry Prendergast absolutely positively nervous. In her heart she knows Wellington won't take the NPC off the mighty defending champions Auckland despite the so-called cake-tin advantage,” said Mr Banks.

"Auckland is where rugby is at. We are the Southern Hemisphere's number one rugby team with the Super 12 to prove it. We are the rightful winners of the most heavily contested log of wood, the Ranfurly Shield. We are the current holders of the NPC, and even with 10 of our brightest stars at the World Cup, we will successfully defend it.

"Wellington on the other hand is home to hobbits, hurricanes and hapless politicians. This coming weekend they won't know what has hit them. I look forward to their Mayor trying to put an absolutely positively spin on the absolutely positively inevitable," said Mr Banks.

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