Pope's death announced as Soccer player lines up for penalty kick - misses

[Champ]

It was every Catholic's worst nightmare – and a hardy Wairarapa footy player's: the Pope's death announced as the kicker prepared his run-up in the last minutes of a semifinal.

The ground announcer's quip in the Wairarapa-Bush club rugby semifinal might have helped cost Marist a place in the final.

Marist's Paddy Rimene was lining up a penalty kick in front of the posts – aiming to give Marist a victory over Gladstone. The score was 10-10.

Moments before his run-up, a voice over the loudspeaker declared the Pope had died in a car accident. As Rimene's kick bounced off the post, the loudspeaker announced the Pope was in fact fine and the accident was only a fender bender.

Gladstone won 13-10, with a penalty conversion in extra time.

Mr Rimene – who usually nails his kicks – admitted being "really annoyed" by the comments. However, the Wairarapa rugby veteran, who is not a Catholic, did not entirely blame the announcement for the missed kick. "I'd love to say, `Yeah, it was his fault,' but I should have got it anyway. I should have blocked it out. But then, it's not the sort of thing you expect to hear when you're lining up a kick."

The announcer approached him after the game to apologise but after a few beers, Mr Rimene thought it better not to give him a piece of his mind. "Next time I see him I'll be letting him know it's not nice."

http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3357792a4560,00.html