Two top national rugby officials are visiting Whangarei on Monday to size up the town ahead of Northland's bid to host teams and games during the 2011 World Cup.
Nigel Cass and Andrew Steele, of Rugby New Zealand 2011 Ltd, will be checking out training and playing venues and meeting members
of the Northland 2011 group co-ordinating the regional hosting effort.
The information gathered in Northland - and 17 other regions also hoping for a share of the World Cup - will help determine where teams are based and games are held. Hosts and game venues will be announced in March.
Mr Cass and Mr Steele are expected to spend a day in Whangarei going over details in a hosting application which Northland 2011 had to lodge before the October 31 deadline. Mr Finn said rugby facilities in the Bay of Islands had already been assessed.
The World Cup pool draw announced this week is:
Pool A: New Zealand, France, Tonga, Americas 1, Asia 1.
Pool B: Argentina, England, Scotland, Europe 1, play-off-winner.
Pool C: Australia, Ireland, Italy, Europe 2, Americas 2.
Pool D: South Africa, Wales, Fiji, Oceania 1, Africa 1.
Martin Snedden, chief executive of Rugby New Zealand 2011 - a joint venture set up by the Government and New Zealand Rugby Union - said the many exciting match-ups across each of the pools made it an outstanding draw.
Northland 2011 _ a joint venture between the Northland Rugby Union and Destination Northland _ have applied for two of the 20 Cup teams to be based in the region and for two pool games. Northland 2011 chairman Greg Gent has said the potential benefit for Northland could be $36.5 million. Hosting two pool matches at an upgraded Okara Park stadium would bring $5.1 million. Hosting two teams during the five-week pool phase _ one in Whangarei and one in the Bay of Islands _ would bring a further $3.8 million, and touring by Rugby World Cup 2011 supporters would produce another $27.7 million. The Rugby World Cup is one of the biggest sports events in the world, and Mr Gent said the benefits of having Northland featured in the television coverage were massive.
