Emirates on lookout for team flagbearers

Chris Lethbridge. Photo / APN

Rugby World Cup sponsor Emirates is running a competition to find young Kiwi flagbearers to lead teams onto the field.

Chris Lethbridge, Emirates manager for New Zealand and the Pacific Islands, said the airline was a worldwide partner for the tournament and had exclusive opportunities to promote activities around the event.

"The big one that we're working on at the moment is the flagbearers promotion."

Emirates will run a competition through secondary schools with applications opening later this month. Parents or guardians will get two match tickets to see the bearer lead out the teams.

Bookings for the cup were looking strong, Lethbridge said.

"Obviously we're seeing more at the sharp end of the tournament but there's certainly some really promising signs that there's some strong bookings coming in for the event which is great news."

Europe and South Africa were showing good signs.

"My feeling is that the Aussies will probably leave it a little bit later, because they're only across the Ditch. We're still expecting some good growth from Australia."

The tournament would be a good kick start to the summer peak, Lethbridge said.

"It's just what we need given what the world's been through in the last six months, let alone the last couple of years."

Emirates had not added planes specifically for the tournament but by January this year had added an extra 1360 seats a week into Auckland from Dubai through Brisbane and Melbourne.

"Depending on the results, there could be some renewed interest from countries ... that's the bit we don't know."