From Frenchmen dressed as cockerels to Irishmen in leprechaun outfits, the Rugby World Cup taking place in New Zealand has attracted colourful characters from around the globe.
For weeks, Auckland's neighbourhoods have been adorned with banners mostly in support of New Zealand, but with a significant showing of Tongan, Samoan and Fijian colours in a city with a large Polynesian population.
Even before a ball had been kicked, flash mobs were performing the Haka across the country; one performance that was caught on camera became a YouTube favourite. The Maori war dance is a hallmark of the All Blacks game, but every Kiwi seems to want a chance to stick out his or her tongue.
Visitors have brought their own cultural kit as well. Perhaps heeding the cautionary tale of the vuvuzela at last year's football World Cup, the organisers have banned musical instruments from all venues. This has not gone down well with Scottish fans who have been unable to cheer on their team with the familiar sound of the bagpipes.
The days are over when the great sporting events were merely spectator events. Fans conduct a show of their own. Of course, only one side will win on October 23, but you can bet that every fan will be joining in the party.
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Starring: Nader Abd Alhay, Majd Eid, Ramzi Maqdisi
Directors: Tarzan and Arab Nasser
Rating: 4.5/5
Visa changes give families fresh hope
Foreign workers can sponsor family members based solely on their income
Male residents employed in the UAE can sponsor immediate family members, such as wife and children, subject to conditions that include a minimum salary of Dh 4,000 or Dh 3,000 plus accommodation.
Attested original marriage certificate, birth certificate of the child, ejari or rental contract, labour contract, salary certificate must be submitted to the government authorised typing centre to complete the sponsorship process
In Abu Dhabi, a woman can sponsor her husband and children if she holds a residence permit stating she is an engineer, teacher, doctor, nurse or any profession related to the medical sector and her monthly salary is at least Dh 10,000 or Dh 8,000 plus accommodation.
In Dubai, if a woman is not employed in the above categories she can get approval to sponsor her family if her monthly salary is more than Dh 10,000 and with a special permission from the Department of Naturalization and Residency Dubai.
To sponsor parents, a worker should earn Dh20,000 or Dh19,000 a month, plus a two-bedroom accommodation
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers