The New-Zealand phrase rugby, racing and beer designates the three traditional interests of the stereotypical New-Zealand man.
This is exemplified by the publisher’s description of That F word: growing up feminist in Aotearoa (Auckland, New Zealand: HarperCollins Publishers, 2018), by the New-Zealand singer-songwriter, political commentator and author Lizzie Marvelly (born 1989):
A wake-up call and a battle-cry for all Kiwi women
Lizzie Marvelly tells the story of New Zealand’s feminist roots, then traverses the modern landscape, tearing apart areas of gender imbalance and pervading attitudes to Kiwi women. In particular, Lizzie examines how men have been brought up with certain values—the rugby, racing and beer mentality we know all too well.
However, the phrase rugby, racing and beer has also been applied to both sexes—cf., for example, below, quotation 5.
A variant of the phrase occurred in a letter to the Editor, by one C. M. Fogarty, published in The Press (Christchurch, Canterbury, New Zealand) of Monday 27th August 1979 [page 16, column 7]:
Pakeha New Zealanders live in a cultural desert where life revolves around the gods of rugby, racing, beer and telly.
These are, in chronological order, the earliest occurrences of the phrase rugby, racing and beer that I have found:
1-: From the title and the lyrics of a song by the New-Zealand singer-songwriter Rod Derrett (1930-2010), released in 1962 or 1963 [cf. note] (recording label: Lower Hutt, N.Z.: His Master’s Voice – issue number: 7EGM.6070)—it seems that the phrase rugby, racing and beer was already well established:
[title]:
Rugby, Racing and Beer
[lyrics – from the first verse]:
When I was just a little kid,
[…]
Daddy took me on his knee.
He drained his glass and closed his eyes
And gave me very sound advice
On how to be a real Kiwi.
“[…]
“Because of your great parentage
You have a national heritage
Of rugby, racing and beer.”
[chorus]:
Rugby, racing and beer,
Rugby, racing and beer,
Down under they’re mad over them
Rugby, racing and beer.
[Note: According to the National Library of New Zealand, the song was released in 1962. But the recording posted on YouTube by Classic Music of Yesteryear (from which I have transcribed the lyrics) seems to be dated 1963.]
The earliest mentions that I have found of Rod Derrett’s song Rugby, Racing and Beer are from advertisements for a record shop called The Farmers’, in Cashel Street, Christchurch, published in The Press (Christchurch, Canterbury, New Zealand):
– Of Friday 1st November 1963 [page 22, column 8]:
RUGBY, RACING AND BEER—Rod Derrett
– Of Friday 7th February 1964 [page 18, column 7]:
RUGBY, RACING AND BEER, Rod Derrett.
2-: From Through New Zealand’s Mountains By Auto, by Herman Lowe, published in the Park City Daily News (Bowling Green, Kentucky, USA) of Wednesday 28th August 1963 [page 4, column 4]:
Hermitage Hotel, Mt. Cook National Park—[…] These national parks are packed with skiers and hikers and there’s plenty of fishing, but, so far as I can tell, the major sports of New Zealand are rugby, racing and Beer.
3-: From Friendliness Of New Zealanders Helped Ease Feeling Of Loneliness, by Malcolm MacNey, published in the Tri-City Herald (Pasco, Washington, USA) of Wednesday 21st July 1965 [page 18, column 4]:
No article on life in New Zealand would be complete without mentioning the country’s big three: Rugby, Racing and Beer.
Rugby is a form of football played without pads, and a player is considered a sissy if he has to have a substitute—unless he is knocked unconscious. The action can be fast, but without knowing anything about the finer points of the game, the MacNeys still prefer the gridiron version.
Racing is so popular, pages and pages of nearly every newspaper are devoted to news about race horses and horse racing. Nearly every town has an off-course betting office, administered by the government, where the hunter can bet on any race in New Zealand.
The beer I liked, but then I like almost any beer. Most of the beer was much darker than here, but many varieties are brewed, and for those who prefer a light, U.S.-type, lager fills the bill.
4-: From N.Z. Houses Designed ‘In Worst Taste’, published in The Press (Christchurch, Canterbury, New Zealand) of Tuesday 30th November 1965 [page 24, column 5]:
New Zealanders spent more money on their houses than anyone else in the world, and designed them in the worst taste, Mr N. Evans said on his return from the United States, where he studied environmental design for two years.
[…]
He agreed that New Zealand architecture could be termed “folk”—arising out of a tradition of Rugby, racing and beer drinking.
“If people are content with this, let them have it,” he said. “At the same time, basic design and colour schemes should be observed.”
5-: From an interview of Christine Coleman, Blossom Queen for Hastings, New Zealand, who was visiting Wilmington in her capacity as X-ray film salesperson—interview by Bette McNear, published in the Evening Journal (Wilmington, Delaware, USA) of Tuesday 7th June 1966 [page 23, column 5]:
Christine is the daughter of one of her country’s leading racing stewards, K. K. Coleman, and she loves the races. “We New Zealanders are known for three things: rugby, racing and beer. Our horses race all over the world, and many Americans come to our yearling sales.”
6-: From a letter to the Editor, by ‘Conditioned Zombie’, published in The Press (Christchurch, Canterbury, New Zealand) of Wednesday 17th August 1966 [page 18, columns 4 & 5]:
Sir,—l wish to echo the opinion of Mr Robert Feist with regard to New Zealand drinking laws, but would like to put him wise. He assumes that because the Kiwis speak English they can reason and are capable of logic. Unfortunately this is not so, as I have found after 20 years’ residence here. The average Kiwi, despite his very good education, is totally incapable of thinking because there is nothing to think about in New Zealand except Rugby, racing, and beer. The 6 p.m. closing is a curfew which both governments want because it gets the stupid clots off the streets by 6 p.m. in a soggy state so that they can stagger back to their boxes and breed like battery fowls, thereby populating the country with malleable zombies to the benefit of governments and religious soothsayers alike.
7-: From an article by Himie Koshevoy, published in The Province (Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada) of Friday 21st April 1967 [page 27, column 7]:
In my roaming of the town I ran into Watson J. Laing and Allan V. Hardaker, a couple of Kiwis, here with a New Zealand delegation stirring up interest in their country. They informed me solemnly that the three religions of their land were rugby, horse racing and beer.
8-: From 24 Days Of Sea… Then New Zealand, by Don Brug, published in the Ventura County Star-Free Press (Ventura, California, USA) of Sunday 11th June 1967 [Magazine section: page 19, column 3]:
New Zealanders have a song, “Rugby, Racing and Beer.” At the top of all this would be beer despite the fact that drinking stops at 6:15 in the afternoon. At any pub between 5-6 p.m. the entire nation seems to drown itself in foam.
9-: From Homeward Bound, by Don Brug, published in the Ventura County Star-Free Press (Ventura, California, USA) of Sunday 18th June 1967 [Magazine section: page 10, column 3]:
The same New Zealand theme: “Rugby, Racing and Beer” also defines Australia, but it’s not hard to find interesting conversation. Slang is clever and a very interesting field for study.
10-: From The Press (Christchurch, Canterbury, New Zealand) of Monday 27th November 1967 [page 18, column 1]:
RANDOM REMINDER
THE A.G.M.Someone remarked once—and he was sufficiently a someone to have his views published—that to the New Zealander’s addiction to Rugby, racing and beer should be added a distinct love of belonging to things. The observer was struck by a number of clubs and societies, and particularly by the number of local body authorities.
It is little wonder, then, that the New Zealander has a healthy respect for the need to conduct meetings along proper lines, with a deferential hearing of the minutes, an earnest listing of the apologies, a businesslike approach to matters arising from the minutes, and so forth.
11-: From The Press (Christchurch, Canterbury, New Zealand) of Wednesday 14th February 1968 [page 19, column 6]:
RANDOM REMINDER
HIGH IN THE SKYThere has been an interesting discussion up and down the country about the proposal to serve alcohol on inland air routes. […]
[…] One can sympathise with the task the air hostesses would have. Already they have to remember which of the scores of passengers want tea, which have asked for coffee: if they had to keep track of the gin and tonics, the whisky-waters, the brandies and the beers, it could be disastrous for all concerned. Imagine the confusion if a hostess tried to press creme de menthe on an elderly lady of temperate habits and intemperate tongue or brought a Fallen Angel to a New Zealand gentleman much addicted to Rugby, racing and beer.
12-: From No stag Party for the Duke, published in The Canberra Times (Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia) of Friday 17th May 1968 [page 2, column]:
Auckland’s city fathers have emerged somewhat ruefully from the doghouse after being worsted in a shindy with the opposite sex over arrangements for entertaining the Duke of Edinburgh.
In effectively putting the kibosh on plans for a stag party for 250 guests, outraged feminists have exerted an influence quite unsuspected by the once dominant male in a country supposedly devoted to Rugby, racing and beer.
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