And so it was as 16 teams converged on the Recreation Ground in the 2009 Pub Charity New Zealand Rugby Sevens tournament.
A large crowd watched early crowd favourite Southland win the consolation Shield final over Northland 28-21.
Another crowd favourite, Otago, beat Horowhenua-Kapiti 33-10 in the bowl final.
However, it was the boys from "OC" who clearly had the crowd's heart.
Otago Country, ranked 16th, looked to be up against it from the outset.
The draw had them head-to-head with tournament favourites Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch on day one.
Battle-weary OC yesterday had just one reserve left.
A broken leg, a dislocated shoulder and a concussion were the worst of the injuries, yet it won its first game, 28-19 over Northland, that day.
What looked set to be the crowd's perfect match, Otago v Otago Country, wasn't to be, when the latter lost to Horowhenua-Kapiti.
While many teams completed their "farewell lap" without too much ado, the OC boys were treated like rock stars, posing for photos and high-fiving the crowd.
The day wouldn't have been complete without a streaker, who dashed the length of the field chased by a security guard, before running straight into the arms of the boys in blue.
The weekend's entertainment ended not with rugby but the undie run.
All players who hadn't scored a try - including All Black Piri Weepu - stripped to their underwear and ran half the length of the field to the delight of the crowd.
