Friday 3rd February 2012-

Over the past four days Big Blue BSAC have been conducting BSAC instructor crossovers. Serena, Ludo and Rachel are already PADI and SSI instructors with lots of experience between them. Rach has done all her teaching in the UK prior to coming to Koh Tao, Serena has done all her teaching in Canada prior to coming to Koh Tao and Ludo started out in Denmark with his diving career. This year BSAC in Thailand and in particular at Big Blue will be massive, we are pushing things forward with lots of projects and project big things from this year from a BSAC point of view. The guys have had to deal with lots of things within this crossover that no other recreational training agency covers, such as, decompression diving, shot line deployment, distance lines, charts, tides and weather forecasting. All agreed the ways of teaching and the materials covered is a brilliant way of teaching. Roll on the BSAC students turning up!!!!!!

Oddly busy on Koh Tao right now. No reason I can think of especially for it either but for some reason the island appears to be rammed to the rafters! Running out of rooms on Sairee Beach as well. I had to check in customers in 4 rooms at Sairee Crossroads as there was no more bungalows left on the beach. And next week is Full Moon so its only going to get busier. So word of warning to those of you planning to pop over without havving booked anything first. Don't! There won't be any room left. Use your noggin! Make a bookin! This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Swimming pool at our new resort is coming on. We've dug the hole, laid the iron bars down & the concrete comes next. Moving on quite quickly with it too. I've been taking day to day photos to assess the speed with which its being built & will show you the before and after shot nearer completion. Meanwhile suffice is to say that its way bigger than it looks on paper! 12 meters long & 8 meters wide & 3 meters deep at its max truely is a fair size. & as you can probably imagine rather a lot of soil too. But its only 3 weeks away from completion so its all good. In fact its better than that its Flicking awesome! Can't wait!

Latest News 21^st December

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Courtesy of our most hobbit like instructor, Little “Massive” Dave, the long awaited Big Blue challenge went off at Vibe Lounge last night, and what a night it was!  It saw Big Blue’s finest battle it out against a rival dive school (no names I’m afraid) in round after round of farcical challenges to decide who would be crowned the ultimate champions of the rock!  Mental challenges, physical challenges and the usual, mandatory drinking challenges we fought harder than we ever have and we kicked arse!!! Well done to everyone that showed up and participated, you did us proud!  Big Blue Champions!  Better luck next time Crystal!  Oh, I didn’t did I…

So congratulations are in order this week for our slim, trim, strawberry blonde instructor Paul Toshy Tanner and his lovely wife Vicky on the arrival of their beautiful baby girl, Grace Mary Tanner!  She weighed in at 4kg and measured 51cm and was born around 6pm Thai time on 12^th December (it’s a bit late I know but that’s what happens when you leave Pi Roz in charge!).  Big Blue and every member of staff here would like to say big congratulations to the three of you and we wish you all the best in your long and happy future together!  A wonderful new addition to the big blue family!  Babys head wetting time soon then…?

"I was really apprehensive about diving before arriving on Koh Tao as after contacting other Dive schools i was told i may be too big to dive.  Big Blue assured me that i had nothing to worry about and they were right.  All in all i had an amazing experience and i fully recommend diving with Big Blue to anyone. Diving is such a unique an unforgettable experience that it's changed the way i think about my holidays.  It's opened my eyes to some countries which i had never ever considered visiting but would love to now because the diving is meant to be amazing there.  Thank you Big Blue for an amazing 4 days and for believing in me and convincing me i could do it when other dive schools didn't."  Jaz, Birmingham, UK.  No worries Jaz, maybe next time we'l be able to find you a whaleshark.  Just keep rubbing those nipples!

Saturday 26th November-

Ros booked the day off for Thanksgiving so she could cook Curtis, her All American Boy a turkey. So Ros, here's what you do: First, buy the turkey and a bottle of whiskey. Pour yourself a glass of whiskey and put the turkey in the oven. Take another 2 drinks of whiskey, and set the degree at 375 ovens. Have 3 more whiskeys of drink and turn the oven on. Take 4 whisks of drinky and turk the bastey. Stick a turkey in the thermometer, and glass yourself a pour of whiskey. Bake the whiskey for 4 hours, take the oven out of the turkey, and floor the turkey up off the pick. Pour yourself another glass of turkey. Now just tet the sable, and turk the carvey! Happy America Day!

Jim is off tomorrow for another month long holiday with his family. This time he's off to Munich! From the sweaty pant wearing 30 degree temperature of Koh Tao to the testicle shrinking minus 13 degrees of Munich this should be quite an experience for him. So Jim's off for Christmas but back for New Year so Ros is back in charge, despite her piss poor performance last time Jim went on holiday when Ros set fire to the kitchen & then flooded the whole Resort. So lets be honest she can't exactly faff it up anymore than she did last time! Watch this space.

And another Whaleshark! That makes six thousand nine hundred and twenty twelvety whale shark sitings this year! Which makes your chances of seeing a Whaleshark in Thailand as about as high as seeing a monk in Thailand! & I guess this amount of Whaleshark visits here this year would also rank Koh Tao as being one of the most common places to go on holiday & dive with a Whaleshark! Mexico, Australia, Philipines & Thailand! Nice holiday destinations! At least they have good taste in holidays! Wouldn't really be the same if you had to go to Belgium!

 
Saturday 29th October 2011-

So whats the latest on the Bangkok floods situation? Well word is that unfortunatley despite all efforts to save it Khao Sarn Rd is actually flooding. Which is obviously catastrophic news for those businesses & stalls in that area including our very own Big Blue Bangkok office! Everyone is fine but we have been forced to shut up shop for a few days I'm afraid. Unfortunately this flooding will also disrupt the bus services with Lomprayah & Seatran down to Koh Tao as well So again... please spread the word too all weary & worried travellers about to arrive or stuck somewhere wet & unpleasant right now. Get the fuddleduck outta there & get yourselves to the main International airport & go to the Bangkok Airways counter or www.bangkokairways.com & get yourselves a ticket to Samui & then the boat to Koh Tao. Beautiful weather here. Awesome conditions & no flooding whatsoever! Have yourselves a holiday! You've earnt it!

" Big Blue Diving is one of the biggest diving center in Koh Tao and one of the most serious. The staff is comopsed of great guys, thais and foreigners, who are really friendly, cool and professional. I passed the SSI Open Water with Iain, Koreen and Pete. They were really good instructors, very helpful and pros. I recommend you to ask for them if you want to pass diving certifications. The Open Water was 4 days of academics and practice: 1 exam and 5 dives (1 in a deep pool and 4 in the ocean). The dive sites are totally amazing! You'll see a lot of tropical fishes and corrals! One of my best activity during my trip to Thailand! Prices are fair: I payed 9000 THB including the Open Water and the accomodation in dormitory. It worth it! The dorm is clean, the diving equipment really good and the dives really awesome! There is a big and animated bar close to the diving center were you'll pass academics, have beers with lot of potential friends and eat good food (hai and international). At the end of your Open Water, they will film you (during your last dive) and propose you to buy a DVD. The dvd quality is really pro but the price is a little bit expensive (around 2500THB) but if you have enough money, buy it! Really! The center is located on the Sairee beach so during your free time you'll be able to swim, snorkle quite easily. They also rent snorkelling equipment if you don't have your own. Really close to the center, you'll find all the commodities: bars, pubs, 7Eleven (supermarket), shops ans internet cafes. And also massages (count about 300THB for an hour). If you want to discover the island, the easiest way is to rent a motorbike or a quad (you can rent motorbike directly in Big Blue Diving center - prices are fair). So, YES, I highly recommend you to go the Big Blue Diving! Don't hesitate to negociate the prices on the Lomprayah boat, on your way from Chumphon to Koh Tao, with the big blue guy promoting it. If I go back to Koh Tao, I will definitely go there to do my Advanced courses! Really cool." Zetraist, Poitieres, France- Trip Advisor.

 
Friday 30th September 2011-

In just 25 years, our consumption rate of plastic bags has grown from almost zero to our use of over 500,000,000,000 (that’s 500 billion) plastic bags annually … almost 1 million per minute.
- According to The Wall Street Journal, the U.S. goes through 100 billion plastic shopping bags annually. An estimated 12 million barrels of oil is required to make that many plastic bags.
- Four out of five grocery bags in the US are now plastic.
- Plastic bags cause hundreds of thousands of birds, sea turtle and other marine animal deaths every year because these creatures mistake plastic trash for food.
- Countries like China, Ireland, Australia, Bangladesh have banned or have placed restrictions on single use plastic bags.
- Taiwan banned plastic bag and plastic utensils as a way to reduce 60,000 metric tons of waste per year they deal with each year
- According to the BBC, only 1 in 200 plastic bags in the UK are recycled.
- Target, the second-largest retailer in the U.S. purchases 1.8 billion bags a year. They just announced a new program to give consumers a nickel back for each reusable bag they bring into their stores when they shop.
- Target (Australia) completely banned single use plastic bags in their stores in 2008.
- The average family accumulates 60 plastic bags in only four trips to the grocery store.
- Each high quality reusable bag you use has the potential to eliminate an average of 1,000 plastic bags over its lifetime.
- Americans use 2.5 million plastic bottles every HOUR.. Each of us creates 1,500 lbs of trash every year that has to be disposed of that could be recycled with a little effort.
- Now you know … time to pitch in and do your part!
Remember every piece of plastic ever produced and not recycled still exists!

Well its another full on weekend of World Cup Rugby especially for the English & Scottish & we're doing what we can to juggle those interested students whose countries are playing so that they can be on land & watch the matches. It also means there won't be any blog for a few days either so I'd better predict whats coming up over the next couple of days or so. It will be hot, bright & sunny with a chance of showers. Sea temperatures will be around 30 degrees. Visibility will be as much as 30 meters tomorrow & Sunday at Chumphon & Southwest Pinnacles & down to around 20 meters at most of the dive sites around Nang Yuan Island & the wreck & there will be baracudas, Sting rays, turtles & a Whale Shark for your viewing pleasure. So if you are Scottish we'll see you next weekend then (chortle chortle guffaw guffaw!)

BSAC’s stand at this year’s DIVE 2011 will be plastic bag free as part of its pledge to minimise its impact on the environment. BSAC, who has just announced a new partnership with Marine Environment charity Plastic Oceans, is currently driving forward its own ‘green pledge’ to reduce its reliance on plastic across the organisation. Visitors to the BSAC stand, in particular the BSAC Shop, are now being encouraged to bring their own reusable bags or rucksacks and show their support for the initiative. Thank you.

Saturday 25th June 2011-

Packed? I've never seen the place so busy! But it wasn't full with divers or Big Blue revellers! Nope, the reason we were so rammed to the rafters yesterday might have had something to do with all the semi clad Swedish women we had strolling around the place drinking shots, bikini wrestling each other at the waters edge, & dancing around some grassy pole wearing laurel wreaths! There might have been a few male Swedish viking types there aswell but I'm afraid I just didn't notice them! My eyes were too busy darting back & forward from one luscious beauty to the the next Buxom blonde. I got chronic neck ache today! Swedish Midsummer Beach Party- the best party of the year. Wine, women, song & dance. 
Thank God there's a Sweden!

Well the sediment & silt is finally beginning to drop at Koh Tao's newest Divesite, the Sattakut wreck. & visibility is still around 20+ meters so diving on this wreck right now could quite possibly make it Koh Tao's best dive site. There are even a few fish lodging there already. It won't take long till we start getting the usual wreck happy creatures like puffer fish, eels, rays & if we're really lucky we might start getting a few good hard to see creatures like Frog fish & ghostpipe fish. At 75 meters long & 20 meters high there's going to be enough areas in which to search for them too. Cool. This site is going to be sooo awesome! First dive Chumphon Pinnacle, second dive the Sattakut wreck! Better get ourselves a dedicated boat to take us there on. I can feel a rush coming on!

More excellent news for the scuba diving Industry in Thailand this week! The Australian Government is imposing a further tax on scuba divers on the Great Barrier Reef. Some companies are already building the increase into their prices, which range between $100 and $200 for an all-inclusive day on the reef. The skyrocketing currency makes holidaying abroad cheaper for Australians and the local product more expensive for inbound foreign tourists. Some ailing tourism operators question why the federal government can't waive the reef tax rise, which is set in law and automatically linked to the consumer price index, when the industry is doing it so tough. Whitsundays-based Maxi Ragamuffin day-charter yacht, said Queensland's reef-based tourism industry was at its lowest point since the 1989 pilots' dispute. "The industry needs to be admitted into intensive care," he said. "Increasing the reef tax at this point is like turning the oxygen off." Bugger! 'Kaka doo' for Queensland, Australia. 'You Beautie' for Koh Tao, Thailand!

Monday 30th May 2011-

Whale sharks are often thought to be solitary behemoths that live and feed in the open ocean. Scientists however, have found that whale sharks can be gregarious and amass in the hundreds to feed in coastal waters. Aggregations, or schools, of whale sharks have been witnessed in the past, ranging from several individual sharks to a few dozen. However this new research, which involved both surface and aerial surveys, has revealed an enormous aggregation of whale sharks—the largest ever reported—with up to 420 individuals off the coast of the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico. What brings them together is food.

“Whale sharks are the largest species of fish in the world, yet they mostly feed on the smallest organisms in the ocean, such as zooplankton. Our research revealed that in this case, the hundreds of whale sharks had gathered to feed on dense patches of fish eggs. Whale whale sharks may seem conspicuous as the heaviest and longest of all fishes, growing more than 40 feet long, there is still much that is unknown about them. They have a very widespread distribution, occurring in all tropical and sub-tropical regions of the ocean around the world. Understanding this filter-feeder’s diet is especially important since food sources determine much of the whale shark’s movement and location. During the dozens of surface trips that team members made to the aggregation, called the “Afuera” aggregation, they used fine nets to collect food samples inside and immediately outside the school of feeding whale sharks. Scientists then used DNA barcoding analysis to examine the collected fish eggs and determine the species. They found that the eggs were from little tunny, a member of the mackerel family. “Having DNA barcoding is an incredibly valuable resource for this research,” said Lee Weigt, head of the Laboratories of Analytical Biology at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History. “It not only allowed us to know what exactly this huge aggregation of whale sharks were feeding on, not readily done from only physical observations of eggs, but it also revealed a previously unknown spawning ground for little tunny.”

The team of scientists also examined a nearby, less dense aggregation of whale sharks, known as the Cabo Catoche aggregation, off the northern tip of the Yucatán Peninsula. They found that the prey of this group mostly consisted of copepods (small crustaceans) and shrimp. Increased sightings at Afuera coincided with decreased sightings at Cabo Catoche, and both groups had the same sex ratio, implying that the same animals were involved in both aggregations. “With two significant whale shark aggregation areas and at the very least one active spawning ground for little tunny, the northeastern Yucatán marine region is a critical habitat that deserves more concerted conservation effort,” said Maslanka. The whale shark is listed as “vulnerable” with the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources. Populations appear to have been depleted by harpoon fisheries in Southeast Asia and perhaps incidental capture in other fisheries.

And again! Man if Scuba Diving was a game of poker we'd have a Full Texas Djin Rummy Hold Em House Flush! Sailfish at Twins yesterday! Less than 3 meters long but bigger then 2 meters & fast as feck! Quickest fish in the sea clocking speeds of over 100 km per hour. The sail is normally kept folded down and to the side when swimming, but gets raised when the sailfish feels threatened or excited, making the fish appear much larger than it actually is. This tactic has also been observed during feeding, when a group of sailfish use their sails to "herd" a school of fish or squid.  They can appear in a startling array of colors, from subdued browns and grays to vibrant purples and even silver. Their body colors are often highlighted by stripes of iridescent blue and silver dots. Sailfish can change their colors almost instantly; a change controlled by their nervous system. The sailfish can rapidly turn its body light blue with yellowish stripes when excited, confusing its prey and making capture easier, while signaling its intentions to fellow sailfish. So whalesharks, bullsharks, Grey Reef Sharks, Marlins, & Brydes Whales. Not bad for January!

Did you know one million plastic bags are used every minute of the day and almost three millions tonnes of plastic are used to bottle water globally each year? Would it surprise you that 80% of all marine debris is plastic? In some areas of the ocean, plastic outweighs plankton 6:1, and on Koh Tao, 3 turtles were killed last year from ingesting plastic bags. So a massive thanks to everyone that helped out at the beach and underwater clean up event yesterday, Koh Nang Yuan is now a cleaner paradise. We had a whopping 52 people participate in our monthly clean up this month, and with 6 million tonnes of debris entering the oceans each year, we needed each one of them. So a big thank you to all who helped out.And a big thank you from The Eco Gods too!

 
Saturday 28th November 2010-

Word is out that its nigh on impossible at the moment to go diving in the Similans right now without seeing a Manta Ray! Apparently every Liveaboard trip & every speedboat and at every divesite there are Mantas to be seen! Its a Manta Ray frenzy! Thats awesome news & you have the opportunity right now to go diving with these guys too! Next trip to the Similans on board our very own luxury cruiser the MV Pawara is off on Monday night the 29th November for 4 days & 4 nights of Manta action. & we're practically giving cabins away. 10% discount if you go alone! 20% discount if you are 2 or more people! & FREE equipment rental! Sign up! Sign up! Not too many spaces still available!

In the past few decades alone, 20% of the oceans' coral reefs have been destroyed, with a further 20% badly degraded or under serious threat of collapse, while tropical forests equivalent in size to the UK are cut down every two years. These statistics, and the many more just like them, impact on everyone, for the very simple reason that we will all end up footing the bill. Just ask a Chinese fruit farmer who now has to pay people to pollinate apple trees because there are no longer enough bees to do the job for free. What has the world come to. Doesn't it make you fear for your childrens future.

So as the weather in Europe sinks into a cold depression the Gap Year students come hiking over to Asia to get themselves a qualification that will enable them to gain employment & life experience over their contemporary's upon their return. & what a bloody good idea too! Wouldn't you like to gain a qualification that enables you to get employment while travelling the world. Here at Big Blue we are offerring the whole Open Water to Divemaster package including Underwater videography training & Marine & coastal Resources management recognised by Universities in the UK as the first rung in the ladder on your Marine Biology degree. How's that for kick starting the rest of your life! Beats the heck out of protesting on the streets of London wouldn't you say!

Sunday 31st October-

Congratulations Lara! Our brand new SSI Instructor. SSI Instructor Trainer Simon, "the highest certifying SSI Instructor Trainer in South East Asia in 2009" Garrity, we call him SSIm'09 for short, has been moulding our Lara into shape. All it takes is an ex boyfriend, a 6 month DM course, a good nights sleep at the Koh Phangan Full Moon Party, her bike stuck up a tree, a couple of weeks of Instructor preparation, some late nights, some early mornings, a few arvos in the pool, a few mornings in the sea, a few exams, a Scouser & what.... couple of thousand baht to pay off the examiner & you too could be an Instructor! Only kidding. Congratulations La-la. Can't wait to see you teach your first course.

Its Halloween & the scariest thing happening today is the weather! Forecasts are not good for the next few days I'm afraid. Rumour has it we are in for some 40 knot gusts & some 4 meter waves! The boat companies have taken the forecasts so seriously that they have actually gone & canceled all the boats to & from the island tomorrow! That's gonna leave some people a little scuppered I should imagine! Still if you are going to get stuck here you may as well make the most of it. Advanced Course anyone?

When it comes to Scuba Diving here are a few things to remember-
* Don't take up diving to get a suntan.
* People who look good with a mask on are usually ugly without one.
* Diving unprotected with a stranger is like having unprotected sex with a stranger.
* Never clear a snorkel on a Mexican Federale'
* Anyone who says they have never been afraid while diving hasn't been diving or is a bad liar.
* Never use a sun intensifier lotion within 30 miles of the Equator.
* People say the funniest things when you shut their air off.
* Never have sex underwater above a coral reef.
* Dry Suits and Beers do not mix
* Buddies are never where you need them to be.
* You WILL run out of film before the Whale Shark Swims By
* 60 minute camcorder batteries aren't 

Tuesday 28th September 2010-

Big Blue Tech celebrates the successful graduation of Ash Dunn, James Thornton-Allan, Nick Amidy, Tony Alba and Thomas Hallstrom from their TDI Mod 1 CCR course conducted over 5 days on Koh Tao Island in the Gulf of Thailand. This course was also attended by Ben Reymenants, Simone Reymentants and Kris Harrison.

The CCR Mod 1 course is the first certification level for divers wishing to learn the safe assembly, use and diving of a closed circuit rebreather issued through technical diving certification agency TDI (technical diving international). Nice one guys, you have new dive porn to look at!

Military, photographic, and recreational divers use a CCR (closed circuit rebreather) because they allow long dives and produce no bubbles. Closed circuit rebreathers generally supply two breathing gases to the loop: one is pure oxygen and the other is a diluent or diluting gas such as air or trimix.

WHALESHARK!! the lucky divers on the full day trip to Sail Rock yesterday were joined by a 4metre long whaleshark. The toothless filter feeder hung around for them all to see. Lets see if she hangs around for a few days more.

 
Saturday 31st July 2010-

How exciting! We are proud to announce 3 more choices of accommodation to go alongside our other multitudinous choices of accommodation already listed on our website in the form of 2 brand spanking new luxurious 1 bedroom Air conditioned units with hot water shower, TV, tea & coffee making facilities & a balcony overlooking Sairee Jungle on 1 side a semi private swimmng pool on the other. And an extremely beautiful Thai style luxurious self contained villa with outdoor lounge, outdoor Bar B Q, own private kitchen, AC & hot water throughout, TV & indoor dining table overlooking the very same semi private swimming pool, hence the term " semi private". An excellent addition to our portfolio of rooms an absolute bargain at less than 2000 Bt per night for the AC units & less than 3000 Bt per night for the villa. Great timing too, bearing in mind there's bugger all accommodation elsewhere at this time of year so if you haven't booked anything yet & are coming soon then I can highly recommend these places. Say hello to the owners from me. I hear they are an absolutely lovely couple!

Cheers to Jenny & her team of underwater cleaners & fish huggers who are out again this morning ridding the ocean of plastic debris & other discarded what nots that us humans are destroying our planet with. Unbelievable amount of trash we find every time we organise these beach & underwater clean ups. Thanks to all who turned up today. Free Big Blue Eco Bag & beer for you all!

Big Blue Tech celebrates the graduation of SSI Instructor Duncan Tyler from his TDI Semi Closed Rebreather course conducted over 2 days with 4 dives. The TDI Drager Dolphin SCR course certifies the student with the ability to purchase this rebreather and dive on it independently. Enjoy the silent world that Cousteau talked about, dive without the noise of your exhaust bubbles in your ears. Get closer to the fish. Breathe warm moist air - no more dry mouth! No matter how deep you go you consume the same amount of gas - no more lugging 15 litre tanks around for longer dives! This course is designed to give you an insight into rebreather diving. During the course you will learn about the history of rebreathers, how they work and most importantly, as your life depends on it, the maintenance and care of the unit before and after dives. Once you’ve tried this you won’t want to go back to open circuit scuba! A useful stepping stone for tec divers looking at closed circuit rebreathers. This was also a great opportunity to test out the new closed circuit rebreather which needed some trim and buoyancy adjustment along with bubble checks. & who makes a better guinea pig than our own Duncan!

 Sunday 20th June 2010-

Environmental activists from the Sea Shepherd group say they have "liberated" some 800 bluefin tuna. They say the fish had been caught by what they described as poachers and were being towed by two fishing vessels off the coast of Libya. Five scuba divers on Thursday cut open a circular holding net filled with fish below legal weight and caught after the fishing season closed, Sea Shepherd said in a media release on Friday. The operation was carried out 68 kilometres off the coast of north Africa in waters claimed by Libya. The net was being towed by two boats, the Italian vessel Cesare Rustico and the Libyan vessel Tagreft, it said. "Sea Shepherd is convinced that this catch was caught after June 14 and they hold the position that this operation by these two vessels was illegal," the statement said. Activists on the Sea Shepherd vessel Steve Irwin rejected claims by the captain of the Libyan vessel that the fish had been caught three days earlier. Bluefin tuna have become a major source of controversy. Highly prized in Japan for consumption in sushi, their numbers have fallen dangerously low in the Mediterranean and east Atlantic, say green groups... & anyone with even an ounce of common sense!

As we draw ever closer to the end of low season & the beginning of what is the Koh Tao peak season from July till the end of September, I think its about time we used the recall system & summon up all our fellow friends & work colleagues who are all off in countries far & wide to return to work. Its like sending out the bat signal. Come on Simon, Jodie, Barry, Deano, Erik, Beccy, Heather, Dan, Kymmie, & Duncan. Come to Daddy! We got work to do!

Its another exciting night of soccer! Tonight the Mighty All Whites from New Zealand take on the minnows of the northern hemisphere & the reigning World Cup Holders Italy. After so many calamitous matches from the European countries its about time a country like New Zealand stepped forward & really showed the world how to play soccer properly! Pick it up & run with it boys!