Three Rugby World Cup teams welcomed

A ‘fantastic’ decision to base three international teams in Northland during the Rugby World Cup is poised to deliver a multimillion dollar economic windfall, the group charged with co-ordinating Cup planning in Northland says.


Tournament organiser Rugby New Zealand 2011 announced today the Canadian, Tongan and Asia 1 qualifier would train and stay in both the Bay of Islands and Whangarei for a total of 28 days during the World Cup pool play.


Northland 2011 – the group co-ordinating Northland’s RWC planning and operational delivery – says the region had lodged a bid to host two teams with tournament organisers in October last year. (subs: October 2008)


Group spokesman Stewart McElwain – a Community Project Development Officer with regional development agency Enterprise Northland – says today’s decision to involve three teams is fantastic and better-than-hoped-for. It also marked the end of an anxious 14-month wait for Northland 2011.


Mr McElwain says as announced today the Tongan team would spend 10 nights in Whangarei, the Canadians three and the as-yet unknown Asia 1 qualifiers two nights during September and October 2011. All three teams would reportedly train at Kensington Park.


The teams would also train at the Kerikeri Domain and would collectively spend a total of 13 nights in the Bay of Islands; the Canadians six, Tonga four and the Asia 1 team three.


Mr McElwain says as well as an opportunity to showcase Northland and its attractions to the three teams and their many supporters – and a potential worldwide television audience of billions – having them based here would also deliver significant economic benefits.


He says a 2006 study by hotel, tourism and leisure industry consultants Horwath Asia Pacific Limited had estimated Northland stood to gain up to $9 million from hosting games and having teams based here.


The study estimated another $27.5M would come Northland’s way through “general touring” (70 percent of it during the last fortnight of the Cup finals) bringing the overall “Northland regional impact from the tourism and match perspective” to about $36.5 million.



“Those figures are based on 25,000 international visitors staying for an average of three nights.”


Mr McElwain says today’s decision was a great reward for those who had worked hard in the lead up to the hosting bid being lodged and showed the benefits of the various agencies and the business community working together.


The matter had effectively been out of Northland’s hands since the bid had been lodged last year due to the detailed and complex process tournament organisers had had to follow to arrive at today’s decisions.


“While our bid detailed the facilities and support that would be available to teams in Northland, the process since then has been run by Rugby New Zealand 2011 under delegation from its parent body Rugby World Cup Ltd. It has been a pretty anxious wait over a really long period for us and we’re just thrilled with the outcome.”


Mr McElwain says Northland 2011’s key membership included the region’s three District Councils, the Northland Regional Council and the Northland Rugby Union. It is also supported by local economic, sporting, business, tourism and other groups.


He says a dozen-strong working group of Northland 2011 will meet shortly to discuss today’s announcement and work through the implications and finer details.