ARC ... #380

The All Blacks played England at Eden park In Auckland .. so what do Wellingtonians do .. they head to the Loaded Hog on the waterfront and have some alternative commentary and watch the game on the big screen ... a great night.

The Alternative Rugby Commentary is back, on the ball and full of all the clichés, calls and controversy you won't hear in your average rugby commentary. Jed Thian and his team, presents 16 game calls live from Wellington's Loaded Hog for the New Zealand domestic test season and from around the world. Ten games will be called from the Loaded Hog, with the remaining six called 'on the road' from Hong Kong and London.

The Alternative Rugby Commentary is a fresh, frank and funny look at footy. The Alternative Rugby Commentary merciless in its mirth over whatever suckers happen to be playing New Zealand; a no-holds-barred appraisal of the local teams and players – what we really want to know, like who ate all the pies and what a monumental cock-up the All Blacks 'strength and conditioning' regime was. Through the wonders of modern technology the Alternative Rugby Commentary is simulcast on the world wide web at http://www.arcrugby.co.nz/, available for real sports fans all over the world who want sports commentary with real balls.

Jed 'Jedi' Thian is the almighty mouth from the south with more bounce to the ounce when it comes to cutting edge rugby commentary. With growing fame all over the world as the driving force behind Alternative Rugby Commentary, Thian has been in the hot seat since 2005, bringing his unique brand of bombastic bluster and acerbic verbal jousting to the staid world of sport commentary. Australia has Roy & HG to skewer its sports stars; Aotearoa turns to the almighty Jedi to cut through the publicity pap and deliver a truly Kiwi take on the big games.

This is what no-less an authority on world affairs as the BBC had to say about Thian when he blew through the United Kingdom commentating from London's The Clapham Grande at the Rugby World Cup 2007:

"He is the kind-of New Zealand Roy & HG, an absolute cultural icon. Apparently over there… in New Zealand they turn the TV commentary down and go to Jed's website http://www.arcrugby.co.nz/ and they listen to him basically abusing everybody right, left and centre."
John Inverdale, September 8th 2007, BBC 5 Live Rugby World Cup Special
The 2008 Alternative Rugby Commentary: All the balls you need.