Sydney stop-over for NZ's giant rugby ball
30 Jul 2010
New Zealand will kick some good natured sporting rivalry into touch when Sydney welcomes Tourism New Zealand’s Giant Rugby Ball next month (September 2010).
Sydney will provide the fourth outing for the giant inflatable ball that has been used as a marketing tool to raise awareness of Rugby World Cup 2011 and lift New Zealand’s international profile.
Heading home after a tour of high profile international destinations, the giant ball will drop in on Circular Quay, beside Sydney’s Harbour Bridge and Opera House. The iconic setting is the last in a line-up that has included the Eiffel Tower, London’s Tower Bridge and downtown Tokyo.
RWC 2011 countdown
Tourism New Zealand, which masterminds the Giant Rugby Ball project for the NZ Government, announced today (2.08.2010) that the ball will be in Sydney from 2 September - coinciding with the one-year countdown to Rugby World Cup 2011 on 9 September.
The ball will make an eye-catching statement on the Sydney waterfront as a venue for day-time outdoor entertainment and night-time projections of dramatic New Zealand imagery on the outside of the ball.
The Giant Rugby Ball will be open to the public from 3 - 12 September for free entry during the day, and at night as a unique venue for VIP events.
Presenting New Zealand
Tourism New Zealand CEO Kevin Bowler said the ball provided an
unprecedented opportunity to present New Zealand to the rest of the
world.
"Through media coverage of the Giant Rugby Ball, New Zealand has
been exposed to an estimated audience of 300 million people from around
the world with more than 40,000 people having physically experienced
the captivating tour of New Zealand’s heritage, landscapes and culture.
"We are expecting close to 18,000 Sydney-siders and tourists to
visit the Giant Rugby Ball when it’s at Circular Quay in September.
This will create excitement about New Zealand and encourage people to
visit now, as well as the approaching Rugby World Cup 2011," Bowler
said.
Exceptional design
The enormous inflatable ball measures 25 metres long, 17 metres high and 13 metres wide. It takes five days to construct and can accommodate 220 people.
While it is now three years old, the ball remains an example of leading-edge technology and has received many accolades for its exceptional design - including a Gold award in the Design Institute of New Zealand’s 2008 BeST Design Awards.
Giant Rugby Ball on tour
The Giant Rugby Ball’s global tour kicked off during the 2007 Rugby World Cup when it appeared next to the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
In 2008, the ball moved on to London where it was installed near the Tower Bridge for an appearance that coincided with the All Black’s UK tour.
The ball’s most recent appearance in Tokyo, beside the Tokyo Tower, marked the first time a Bledisloe Cup rugby match had been held in Japan.
During the day the ball acts as a platform to communicate New Zealand’s key tourism offerings through a multi-media tour integrated with live performers. As a night venue for New Zealand-hosted trade and industry events, it showcases the best of New Zealand food, wine and hospitality.
Unique cultural attractions
Outside the ball in Sydney, visitors will be entertained through a food, music and cultural festival during the day and a lighting show on the ball’s exterior at night.
The festival, led by the NZ government’s 2011 Office, will reflect the nationwide festival that will run throughout New Zealand during Rugby World Cup 2011.
Festival Director Briony Ellis says the Sydney festival will provide a spectacular glimpse of New Zealand’s people, lifestyle and heritage.
"The festival will offer Australians a taste of our country’s art and culture, food and wine as well as showing the stunning scenery that makes New Zealand so distinct," Ellis said.
Opening ceremony
A colourful dawn ceremony on Thursday, 2 September will officially welcome the New Zealand people onto Australian land, before the Giant Rugby Ball opens to the public.
Aboriginal and Māori elders will officiate the meeting of the two cultures, and perform the ‘welcome to country’ on behalf of the Māori people.
Dignitaries and cultural leaders from both New Zealand and Australia will attend the opening ceremony.
Sydney will be the Giant Rugby Ball’s final international stop-over as it returns to New Zealand for the 2011 Rugby World Cup - the largest sporting event in New Zealand history.
New Zealand will welcome 20 competing nations and up to 85,000 international visitors and fans for the 2011 Rugby World Cup.
Background: New Zealand’s Giant Rugby Ball
- The Giant Rugby Ball is an innovative inflatable venue measuring 25m long by 17m wide by 13m high. It holds up to 220 people.
- The ball is used to promote New Zealand the 2011 Rugby World Cup host, and showcase the best of New Zealand.
- Sydney opening times are daily from 11am (2 - 12 September), with free tours every 30 minutes.
- The ball will be located at Circular Quay next to the Overseas Passenger Terminal, in view of the Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge.
- Inside the ball, visitors will be virtually transported to New Zealand via a 10-minute 360-degree immersion experience using multimedia and featuring visual arts, music and theatre.
- Outside the ball, New Zealand live entertainment and Māori cultural performances will provide a glimpse of the nationwide festival to run throughout New Zealand during 2011 Rugby World Cup.
- At night, the ball’s exterior will provide the canvas for imagery showcasing artistic expressions of New Zealand.
- The Giant Rugby Ball has appeared at iconic landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France; the Tower Bridge in London, England; and beside the Tokyo Tower in downtown Tokyo, Japan.
- The rugby ball venue was conceived by Mike Mizrahi of New Zealand's Inside Out Productions - the company also responsible for the three-storey LV suitcase that toured the world for Louis Vuitton's 150th anniversary celebrations.
- The ball was designed and built by New Zealand's Fabric Structure Systems - global specialists in inflatable and temporary structures.
More information
New Zealand's giant rugby ball
NZ events maestro: Mike Mizrahi
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