All Black jersey prices, abstinence campaigns and Webb Ellis Cup doubles - you'd be forgiven for feeling plagued for hosting the Rugby World Cup. Rugby World Cup boss Martin Snedden says it's an issue a day as the tournament looms closer. But the controversy doesn't phase him - he's just concentrating on delivering a major event really well.
"I have been involved in sport long enough to know that issues come and go that seem incredibly important for about four hours and then 24 or 48 hours late it's simply consigned to history," he told Radio Sport's Tony Veitch. Mental Skills Coach Dave Hadfield has his doubts on whether these controversies will impact on the All Blacks' performance
"They've been there before and they've dealt with it before so they know that there's going to be a lot of hype, they know there's going to be be stuff going on, they know that New Zealanders are passionate about it," he told Newstalk ZB's Mike Hosking.
That sentiment's being echoed by Dr Geoff Dickson from AUT's Tourism Research Institute, who says New Zealanders don't take themselves too seriously. "We read them and we think that's interesting and we quickly dismiss them, I don't think that any of these recent stories are doing New Zealand any long term harm," he told Mike Hosking.