Rugby World Cup 2011: Spotlight on New Zealand

The next steps in New Zealand's four-year campaign build-up to hosting
Rugby World Cup 2011 were announced by Rugby World Cup Minister Trevor
Mallard, following the conclusion of the 2007 event in Paris today.

"Congratulations to the new World Cup champions South Africa – and
congratulations to France for being superb hosts. It has been a thrilling
tournament full of surprises and highs and lows – and France has done a
fantastic job ensuring it was an event to remember for thousands of
visiting spectators. This all bodes well for New Zealand in 2011," Rugby
World Cup Minister Trevor Mallard said.

"New Zealand will be in the international spotlight and we very much look
forward to welcoming international guests in 2011 and showing New Zealand
and all it has to offer to the world – as a great place to visit, to work
in, to live in, and to do business with.

''The tournament will not just be a superb sporting event but it has
significant economic upsides as well for communities around the country –
and is estimated to inject more than $500 million into the economy,
including an estimated $250 million into Auckland.

"Just as we did with the America's Cup, the government will be using this
major event to profile New Zealand to the rest of the world – our
innovation and technology, our fantastic scenery, our cities and our
culture.

"With this in mind, I am pleased to announce that we will be launching a
Rugby World Cup 2011 leveraging and legacy project in the next couple of
months – aimed at ensuring that this tournament delivers lasting and
tangible economic, environmental and social benefits to New Zealand.

"This new legacy project will be championed by a soon-to-be-appointed high
profile business person – as we want business to get involved, engaged and
thinking seriously about the benefits they can secure out of this very
major event. This tournament presents an opportunity that New Zealand has
never seen before.

"A Rugby World Cup government liaison office will also open in the near
future, to work with Rugby New Zealand (RNZ) 2011 Ltd, the tournament
organiser, and to be the single point of contact for the government
leveraging and legacy and other cross government planning," Trevor Mallard
said.

"RNZ 2011 and the government will engage with communities, local government
and
business groups in order to maximise the benefits to be gained from
hosting the Rugby World Cup and also to help ensure that New Zealand hosts
a
tournament that we can all be proud of.

"I would encourage people to get involved in the activities that will be
happening in their communities. As with other Rugby World Cup tournaments,
we expect that teams will be hosted in towns and regions throughout the
country - providing opportunities for all New Zealanders to really be a
part of this tournament – and maybe even adopt a team. This is on top of
the obvious economic spinoffs that the Rugby World Cup will provide."

Trevor Mallard said work had begun profiling RWC 2011 to rugby supporters
at RWC 2007 – using a "NZ Inc" approach at the Rugby Ball Venue in front of
the Eiffel Tower. More than 20,000 people have watched the audio visual
presentation inside New Zealand's rugby ball, many thousands more being
exposed to the brand outside the ball and the message has also gone out to
more than 4000 media outlets.

ends

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