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To mark the beginning of the 2011 Rugby World Cup a bunch of naked blokes played a seven-a-side match against a group of sexy Spanish señoritas and nothing in that sentence is a lie.
New Zealand, who were hosting the tournament, are so rugby-mad that they have their own national naked rugby team, the Nude Blacks (a play on the nickname for their men's team, the All Blacks).
As the unofficial curtain raiser for the World Cup, the Nude Blacks took on a team of fully-clothed Spanish women, dubbed the Conquistadoras, and lost 25-20.
The defeat was their first in their nine-year history, but in many ways it wasn't a massive surprise, especially after the Conquistadoras sportingly agreed to join the fun by removing an item of clothing every time they scored a try.
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When asked if they'd let their opponents score a few easy tries, 23-year-old Nude Blacks star Brad Henderson replied: "Of course."
The game took place just a few hours before the tournament opener, England v Argentina, at Dunedin Rugby Club, Kettle Park on the east coast of New Zealand's south island.
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Around 1,500 spectators gathered to watch the action, which featured more awkward bouncing and flapping than a goose on a pogo stick.
Nude Blacks founder Ralph Davies told local outlet AFP: "It started as a joke as part of a backpackers' festival. Here students are known to run across the streets naked in winter, so we decided to go further by playing rugby in the nude.
England's rugby team will be aiming for glory in France, with Umbro supplying their kits for the tournament. It is the first time that the supplier have been handed the chance to produce the kits, with a traditional white home shirt emblazoned with the iconic red rose.
From £75
"Our first game was in 2002 in the middle of a dunes on a beach. We were frozen."
The Conquistadoras earned their invite after winning a competition to travel to New Zealand for a rugby tournament on ice after posting a video of themselves playing on the beach in Barcelona.
Before the game, Davies said: "It'll be one thing playing rugby on the ice but we wonder if they will keep their eyes on the ball when they front up against the Nude Blacks.''
- Rugby union
- Rugby World Cup
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