KEY POINTS:
Fans will be able to watch 2011 World Rugby Cup matches at live sites throughout the country, says Martin Snedden, the former cricket chief now in charge of overseeing the tournament.
The sites would run along similar lines to the Woolshed, the New Zealand fan base for the America's Cup in Valencia, and the Fan Fests in Germany at last year's soccer World Cup.
Mr Snedden told a Tourism Auckland conference yesterday that ticket prices for big games were going to be "fairly significant". Live sites were a good way for people to embrace the tournament and provide access to the games.
"Just seeing what happened in Germany and what happened in Valencia, we know it is an idea people will grab hold of," he said.
He said he watched the Germany-Argentina quarter-final at the 70,000-seat capacity Olympic Stadium in Berlin at last year's soccer World Cup, while more than one million people rubbed shoulders nearby at a Fan Fest along a mile-long strip lined with beer and food stalls and giant television screens.
Later, Mr Snedden told the Herald the Rugby New Zealand 2011 organisation he heads had been back to Germany in the past month to gather more information.
Live sites were used with mixed success during last year's Lions rugby tour in the middle of winter but the 2011 cup would be held in the warmer months of September and October.
The Viaduct Harbour is a possible site for Auckland. Funding for the live sites has still to be worked through.
Mr Snedden said Germany limited live sites to the 15 host cities but believed sites could be set up in places not necessarily hosting games. Queenstown trialled it for the Lions tour without hosting a match and it was pretty successful.
Mr Snedden also told the conference that the tournament would cost $310 million, produce revenues of $280 million and run at a loss of $30 million. The International Rugby Board owned all the commercial rights for the tournament and the only revenue generated by the host country was ticket sales.
Ticket prices would not be set for another 12 months, about the same time as the draw and host cities for each team were finalised.
Prime Minister Helen Clark spoke at the conference about the branding, profile and leverage opportunities for tourism and New Zealand from the Rugby World Cup, which she said would give New Zealand substantial exposure.
A Cabinet paper was coming out shortly on the leverage and legacy plan for major New Zealand events, particularly the World Cup, she said. The cup is expected to generate $500 million in tourism and other direct economic benefits and attract 45,000-70,000 overseas visitors.
