GORDON LIGHTFOOT | Culture
MYTHS AND LEGENDS
20-year-old Lochie Gardner from the Tuggeranong Valley in Australia, recently discovered an astonishing piece of sports history: the Wallabies once held the Bledisloe Cup.
Little did Gardner know that a couple of decades ago, in the year 2002, the Wallabies managed to get their hands on the illustrious Bledisloe Cup. “It’s mind-boggling, maaate! I couldn’t believe it when I found out,” exclaimed Gardner, wiping the dust off a history book that was older than he was.
The Bledisloe Cup has eluded Australian hands for an excruciatingly long time. Generations of rugby fans have grown up with the hope that one day the Wallabies may take back the cup and dethrone the All Blacks.
“I always thought it was a myth that Australia once held the cup, like some ancient legend passed down through the ages,” said Gardner, still trying to wrap his head around the fact that the Wallabies were once the holders. “You mean to tell me that before I was even born, Australia was good at rugby?”
Despite having not won in over two decades, the Bledisloe Cup remains a symbol of hope for Australian rugby fans. They continue to back their team, hoping that one day they’ll reclaim the cup and prove to young Lochie Gardner that 2002 really happened, and anything is possible.
As Gardner puts it, “Who knows, maybe I’ll see a Wallabies victory before I turn 40! That’d be a story to tell the grandkids.”
More to come.
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