Rugby World Cup: Irish diaspora dream of quarter-final success

New Zealand rugby fans have the attitude "if we're going to lose, it might as well be to the Irish".

That's the view of Michael Campbell, who moved to the country from Belfast 30 years ago, as Ireland prepare to take on the All Blacks in the Rugby World Cup quarter-finals.

In Christchurch where he lives, many within the Irish community will meet up to watch the match on TV.

They are part of the Irish diaspora, which has now made New Zealand home.

It is estimated that about 20% of the population in New Zealand has Irish ancestry.

"It would be incredible if we beat them, especially as the odds are that we could go on and win the World Cup," Mr Campbell said.

One aspect of the Irish support that has intrigued New Zealand supporters is the singing of 90s hit Zombie by The Cranberries.

Wellington-based Irish journalist Andrea Vance says she has been inundated with New Zealanders asking her to explain why Irish fans have taken to the song.

"People are always asking me about the Zombie song … 'why do the Irish fans sing the Zombie song, what does it mean? Can you explain the song to me'," she said.

"People have gone online to check out the video of the song, the history of the song. It's really interesting."

Released in September 1994, Zombie went on to become the band's biggest-selling single, reaching number one in Germany, Australia and France, and topping the US alternative rock charts.

The song was originally adopted by Munster rugby supporters in Limerick after the death in 2018 of the Cranberries' lead singer Dolores O'Riordan, who was from the county.

With its catchy chorus, the song then spread wider in rugby circles and has been heard at all four of Ireland's World Cup games in France, with social media clips of the mass renditions spreading across the world.

It was written as a peace song, reportedly in response to an IRA bomb in Warrington in March 1993 which killed two young boys.

However, like many songs heard in sports stadiums, it is the catchiness of the tune rather than its political message which may best explain its popularity.

Michael Campbell said that, in relation to the Zombie song, he too has heard a lot of discussion about it.

"If somebody asks me and wants to know about the song, I have to give them 40 years of history to get them to understand," he said.

Meanwhile, the rugby is not the only major event holding people's attention this weekend.

According to Ms Vance, who is originally from County Antrim, it is the country's general election on Saturday that is dominating news bulletins.

"It might be surprising because the Kiwis are a rugby-mad nation but we have been swamped by election fever here in New Zealand," she said.

"In terms of the rugby, everyone's going to be watching on what will be Sunday morning here.

"The election count is Saturday night so there'll be - me included - a few sleepy heads on Sunday morning."

Ms Vance, the national affairs editor at The Post in the country's capital Wellington, has been keeping a close eye on the election.

Prime Minister Chris Hipkins is facing an uphill battle to retain his position. He replaced Jacinda Ardern as leader of the Labour Party in January.

Polls suggest that the nationalist New Zealand First Party will hold the balance of power.

The party was Labour's coalition partner in 2017, but has said it will not work with Labour again.

So for Michael Campbell, Andrea Vance and the many others who count among the Irish diaspora in New Zealand, there will be close attention paid to both the election and the World Cup quarter-final this weekend.

Both results are difficult to predict.