Hands down the greatest moment of the weekend came during the Tonga league test.

The crowd once again was electric, the Sipi Tau and the Haka magnificent and the league was great, particularly young Brandon Smith who scurried and scampered and electrified the backs.  Someone described him as a ball in a pinball machine who knows only one way, forward. Yes all these things were good but for me the pinnacle was Benji Marshall’s tears during the anthem.

Seven long years after donning the black jersey, Benji was back and you saw what it meant to him. You saw his pride in representing his country. I shared in that and I realised that I hadn’t felt a good bit of pride in the country for a while. 

That’s the problem with being a talkback host.  You often explore the bits of the country that you’re not proud of.  The situations and the people who have gone wrong. So it was refreshing to see pride in New Zealand and it’s fair to say my eyes went a little sweaty watching Benji.  And then he came out and played brilliantly.

But I felt pride at the Tongan supporters as well who obviously love their home country immensely, yet when their adopted country started rolling over their team they kept their espirit de corps, their positivity.  You could tell that the Tongan supporters loved both the countries playing.  Really they couldn’t lose.  Which, funny enough, is the way I felt when Tonga rolled us in Hamilton.

The second greatest moment was when the Blackcaps pipped the Windies at the post at the Cricket World Cup.  Such an exciting morning.  And what would we be without our captain who has now won us 2 games in a row.  Kane Williamson’s 148 was imperious.  King Kane indeed.  Steady the Ship. 

But what was great was the way he was so quickly on the pitch to console Brathwaite, the West Indian batsman who nearly did the impossible. The New Zealand team is impressing everyone with their no nonsense team play and generous spirit and sportsmanship. 

We have much to be proud of.

Yet compare the behaviour of our elite players with the boorish behaviour that made the front page of the Sunday paper. Refs threatened by players. One forced to hide in changing rooms fearing for his safety. Refs threatened by spectators and told they were cheats.

It’s a story that raises its head every year, particularly in winter and particularly in football, rugby and league.  Weekend Warriors and their mates who lose all perspective on local sporting fields.

And as a former football ref myself who’s had his fair share of abuse, I have to say rein it back.  Most refs are volunteers. They’re not paid for this sort of rubbish.  They’re not paid at all.  Always remember without them you don’t have your fun on a Saturday. 

So grow up and play fair.