Commonwealth Games viewers face marathon

A change to the traditional Commonwealth Games opening ceremony marching order means a late night for those who want to see the New Zealand athletes stride into the Melbourne Cricket Ground tomorrow.

Countries would enter in order of continent rather than alphabetically, said New Zealand chef de mission Dave Currie yesterday.

With hosts Australia last to march, that would put Oceania - and New Zealand - at the tail end, a development Currie was pleased with.

"From a practical point of view I am delighted. It means we are out of the village for a few hours less," he said.

New Zealand athletes can now leave their village later, spend less time in holding pens outside the MCG waiting to march, and less time standing in the stadium.

With New Zealand shunted back from its usual midfield slot to near the end, viewers back home will have to stay up past midnight to see their team.

"We'll really see if they love us or not," Currie said.

Television viewers will get a better look at the opening ceremony than the athletes, something Currie has protested without success.

Organisers have refused to provide television coverage to athletes who will wait up to three hours in the nearby Rod Laver Arena before marching.

The reasoning was that athletes distracted watching the sporting spectacular would fail to respond to their marching orders.

Currie was among those who tried to get the order overturned. "The reality is we will only see the last 20 minutes of a ceremony that's 2 1/2 hours [long]."

- NZPA