A FORMER Dursley player has been savouring the World Cup atmosphere over the last two months after landing a dream coaching job in New Zealand.

Nick Ball moved to Auckland this year to take up the position of head of Maths at Westlake Boys High School, where he is also in charge of rugby, and he has been to watch several matches, including New Zealand’s epic win against France on Sunday which saw them lift the Webb Ellis Trophy for the first time since the inaugural competition in 1987.

The school of 2500 boys fields 16 rugby teams every week and they have been North Shore champions six times in the last ten years, while they also produced All Blacks Luke McAlister and Nick Evans, who plays for Harlequins, and had three matches televised on Sky Sports in New Zealand last year.

As part of his role, Ball had to learn the Haka and now teaches the famous war-dance to his pupils.

“It has been an amazing experience,” the 29-year-old son of Dursley mayor Jane Ball told the Gazette.

“One of the most moving things was the whole school Haka at our recent prize giving. The boys do this if they are moved by something as a mark of respect and this one was for the departing head boy.”

“Rugby over here is more like a religion than a culture and the All Blacks are gods.

“The atmosphere for the World Cup was amazing and with the All Blacks doing so well, the Kiwis have been in good spirits.”

Ball added: “My wife Helen and I have managed to get to lots of games including both semi-finals and the final.

“The final was edgy and tense and you could really feel that in the stadium.

“The Kiwis generally don’t make much noise at games but went wild when the final whistle went and some were in tears.

“It was a bank holiday weekend so they partied all Sunday night and many of the bars in Auckland were still full on Monday morning.

“They had a parade downtown on Sunday and then Christchurch on Monday.

“By far the best atmosphere, though, was the England versus Scotland game, with Flower of Scotland and Sweet Chariot going around Eden Park.

“Although it has been very disappointing to be an England rugby fan at this World Cup.”

A former Rednock School pupil, Ball trained as a teacher in Gloucestershire before working for seven years at the Windsor Boys’ School, where he also coached the rugby side and toured with them to South Africa, New Zealand, Australia and Fiji.

He said: “We have moved to Auckland for a new challenge and to experience a different culture.”

Ball is also a partner in a school touring company called Top Match Tours.