Rugby World Cup 2011 centres on the ball
22 Apr 2010
With 500 days to go until 2011 Rugby World Cup kicks off, there’s a constant hum of activity as venues throughout New Zealand prepare for the event.
Major developments are on the way in many of the 23 host centres readying to cope with the expected influx of visitors - predicted to include 60,000 internationals alone.
Rugby grounds, public places and transport, event centres, hotels and restaurants are being built, refurbished or renewed in the build up to what will be the biggest event ever held in New Zealand.
Match tickets are due to go on sale globally on 27 April - which also marks the 500-day / 18 months to-go-point - and the organisers are calling for thousands of volunteers to help facilitate the five-week rugby festival.
Auckland - waterside fan-zones
In downtown Auckland, Queens Wharf is destined to become "the people's wharf" fan zone with plans just released for a massive futuristic steel and glass structure housing a temporary entertainment facility, media lounge and cruise ship terminal.
After RWC 2011, "the high-quality but cost effective" structure would be dismantled and re-sited for use elsewhere, RWC Minister Murray McCully said.
Further along the waterfront on Halsey Street Wharf - in Auckland’s Viaduct Harbour - construction is underway on the city’s new 6000sqm multi-purpose facility, the Viaduct Events Centre.
Auckland RWC 2011 spokesperson Michael Barnett says there’s a wealth of development "powering ahead" across the Auckland region, headed by two major projects - the NZ$256 million Eden Park upgrade, and the new $230 million Manukau Harbour Bridge on the airport to city route.
The RWC steering group, which began preparations three years ago to cover transport, business plans, tourism, training venues and supporting events, reports steady progress.
Eden Park’s new six-level, 21,500-seat South Stand is on target for completion in November 2010. The stadium will have a permanent capacity of 50,000, with 10,000 temporary seats boosting capacity for RWC 2011.
Training venues for 12 rugby teams are also on target with fields, lighting and buildings under improvement at Western Springs Stadium, Orewa Domain and Mt Smart Stadium.
Auckland Airport developments include a new four-star-plus Novotel hotel beside the international terminal, and a 120-room Formule 1 budget hotel.
Wellington - Wharewaka rugby central
With seven RWC 2011 matches, including two quarter-finals to be held there, Wellington is a-buzz with activity and local hoteliers report they have already sold accommodation worth NZ$55 million-plus.
The city has just launched a dedicated website - Wellingtonnz2011.com - an online regional one-stop-shop for RWC 2011 that was heralded as "unashamedly big, bright and bold ... like the tournament itself and the associated festival we’re planning," by Wellington City Council’s Derek Fry.
Capital city developments due to be completed for RWC 2011 include a futuristic new international air terminal, additional trains and buses, new accommodation, and a unique waterfront fan zone based in a wharewaka - or canoe house.
With room for 1200 people, the wharewaka - which will house two ceremonial waka (canoes), an exhibition area and café - will become Wellington’s rugby central. It is sited near Te Papa - New Zealand’s national museum, and is scheduled for completion in January 2011.
The innovative "creative capital" is also planning to introduce rechargeable electric vehicles for zipping around town, and film industry giant Weta Workshops has unveiled plans for a rugby sculpture. Wellington’s All Blacks will pose as body-models for the Richard Taylor design that also incorporates earthquakes, waves, and rocks.
Christchurch - World Ruck
In Christchurch, where a NZ$60 million upgrade of the city’s stadium has been completed, organisers are setting the stage for seven RWC 2011 matches with big inner-city plans at Cathedral Square and an extension to the tram line.
Stadium Christchurch’s capacity has been boosted to 40,000, making it the second largest sporting venue in New Zealand. The new 13,000-seat Deans Stand is the centrepiece of the redevelopment.
Christchurch will be "the most intensely rugby-focused city at the time of the tournament," according to Mayor Bob Parker.
Cathedral Square - the city’s central point - is destined for a major rugby-styled makeover as it’s converted into a mini rugby field beside a giant domed 'World Ruck' cafe / exhibition / reception facility. The rugby field will be complete with turf, embankments and two "massive" screens showing all 48 RWC 2011 games.
Crowds on their way to Stadium Christchurch will follow a pedestrian ‘Rugby Road’ with entertainment en route adding to the festival atmosphere.
Christchurch airport, the second largest international airport in New Zealand, is currently undergoing a NZ$195m expansion, inclduing a new terminal. The new check-in hall is due to open in January 2011.
Dunedin - Southern hospitality
Dunedin’s RWC build-up centres on the new NZ$198 million Forsyth Barr or Otago Stadium, which is due for completion in August 2011. Roof construction is underway and the project is on track, according to Mayor Peter Chin.
"Once complete, Dunedin will have New Zealand’s largest multi-purpose indoor venue and the world’s first to have a transparent ETFE [type of plastic] roof over a grass playing surface," said Chin.
Matches for RWC 2011 have been awarded to Carisbrook, Dunedin’s main domestic and international rugby union venue - nicknamed "the house of pain" - but a decision will be made later this year as to whether the matches will be transferred to the new stadium.
The spinitwide2011.co.nz website - regrouping New Zealand’s southern regions - is already counting down the days with fan and event information. The ‘Spin it Wide’ campaign is masterminding a full calendar of events that will show off the region’s "legendary southern hospitality" during the 44-day rugby festival.
Dunedin is planning live entertainment and a big television screen in the central Octagon area, and Queenstown’s fan zone will be at lakefront Earnslaw Park. In the deepest south, Invercargill is also preparing a dedicated rugby zone.
Hospitality industry plans
A nationwide hospitality training programme focused on major events has been launched to ensure New Zealand has enough trained staff to provide top service during RWC 2011.
Between 10,000 and 15,000 staff will be required to serve the 1.7 million fans expected to attend 48 matches over 45 days in 13 rugby stadiums across New Zealand.
RNZ 2011 chief executive Martin Snedden says New Zealand wants to show it can deliver great rugby, great times and great hospitality to meet the high expectations of visitors and locals.
Other national initiatives include restructuring the school terms to allow a longer than usual October school holiday, while Air New Zealand is gearing up to significantly increase seats on domestic routes from early 2011 and for the duration of the tournament.
More information:
Rugby World Cup tickets set to roll
Iconic New Zealand rugby grounds
World Cup goal for NZ Rugby Museum
RWC 2011 match venues
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| Artist's impression of Auckland's RWC 2011 fan zone |
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Artist's impression of Christchurch's RWC 2011 fan zone
Photo: Themepro |
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