Hurricanes captain Ardie Savea bites back at Bart Simpson: 'Did he just say Wellington sucks? We’re the champs!'
In a new episode of the long-running animated series, Bart is seen gambling on “New Zealand Rules Rugby”, before declaring “Wellington sucks” at our national sport.
The episode, titled A Very Hungry Caterpillar, aired in the US on Monday (local time) and according to the Simpsons Wiki page sees Springfield forced into lock down, after a plague of insects infects the town.
In a clip shared on social media, the eldest Simpson son can be seen checking out the Odds Monster Crypto gambling website, which reveals sport betting options like mental gymnastics, professional standing, unimpressive jumping and college drinking.
But locking in on “New Zealand Rules Rugby”, Bart decides to take a stab on the Wellington v Auckland match.
Wellington was tipped at -350 against Auckland’s +600.
Tauranga, Christchurch, Rotorua and Dunedin also seemed to be playing matches available for the residents of Springfield to gamble on.
It seems the bet didn’t pay off, though, and Bart takes a moment to take a stab at Wellington’s skill when it comes to our national sport.
“Whatever rugby is, Wellington sucks at it,” he says.
Hurricanes captain Ardie Savea, who plays his provincial rugby for Wellington, watched the clip at training on Tuesday.
“Did he just say Wellington sucks?,” Savea asked. “We’re the champs!”
Wellington won the NPC for the first time in 22 years last season.
The Simpsons debuted in 1987 and has taken on numerous celebrities, countries and popular culture references over the years, including Japan, Australia and Mel Gibson.
In 2011, Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement had a guest spot on the show, joining the ranks of Sam Neill and Lucy Lawless who came before them.
The Flight of the Conchords comedians guest-starred as camp counsellors in the episode Elementary School Musical, and Wellington’s Botanic Gardens were given a shout-out.
The 20th episode of season 34 of the popular show is expected to air in New Zealand on Disney+ in about three weeks.
