Contract for Rugby World Cup ceremonies goes to Aussies

Mike Miller, CEO of the International Rugby Board holds the Webb Ellis Cup which will be presented at a ceremony organised by DTNZ. Photo / Richard Robinson

The contract for the opening and closing ceremonies of the biggest sporting event to be held in New Zealand has gone to an Australian firm.

New South Wales-based David Aitkins Enterprises announced on its website that a transtasman offshoot, David Atkins Enterprises New Zealand (DAENZ), "is charged with the responsibility of delivering the opening and closing ceremonies in Eden Park stadium for Rugby World Cup 2011".

DAENZ reported to the tournament organiser, Rugby New Zealand 2011, the website said.

The firm produced the opening, closing and victory ceremonies for last year's Winter Olympics in Vancouver and the outdoor multimedia display for the opening ceremony of Expo 2010 in Shanghai.

Rugby World Cup 2011 chief executive Martin Snedden told Radio New Zealand the company was chosen for its proven skills and experience and he was pleased to have secured one of the best.

But he told TV3 that the creative content of the ceremony would be mostly, if not entirely, from NZ.

David Atkins Enterprises was yesterday advertising for a "technical manager, ceremonies" to oversee all employees and contractors involved in the opening and closing ceremonies.

The technical manager will run the technical department and teams including contractors and consultants involved in lighting, audio, communications, projection, power distribution, special effects, pyrotechnics and technical systems.

The advertisement said the job would require fluency in English, and "Maori is an asset".

Wellington Central MP Grant Robertson said on a Labour Party website that it was a "shocker" that the contract had gone to an Australian company ahead of several New Zealand bidders.

"As a country, we pride ourselves on having some of the best creative talent in the world, with a proven track record of delivery," he said.

"Here was a chance to showcase that talent to the world at the fourth-largest sports tournament in the world, and it's gone, offshore."

Mr Robertson said winning the World Cup hosting rights was as much about all the spin-off benefits for New Zealand as the event itself.

- NZPA