All Blacks: The city limits

The All Blacks training in Marseille, 2007. Photo / Brett Phibbs

The chances of the All Blacks getting out into the provinces in a 1987-style, meet-the-people offensive during the 2011 World Cup are slim - with management preferring to follow the model they currently employ before tests.

The 23 host venues and 47 training facilities for the 20 teams in the Cup were announced on Friday.

The All Blacks have 15 days in Auckland, seven in Hamilton and eight in Wellington before the quarter-finals in Christchurch or Wellington and, all things going well, the semifinals and final in Auckland.

A feature was the spread of teams throughout the country in major and small centres.

Some of the big teams have decided to base themselves in smaller towns.

Defending champions South Africa, for example, will spend nine days in Taupo over two stays, France will spend three days in Napier, England three days in Queenstown and Ireland will spend six in Queenstown, and four each in New Plymouth, Taupo and Rotorua.

All Blacks manager Darren Shand said they were working on the details but were likely to spend their time in the cities where they were to play.

They kick off their campaign against Tonga in Auckland on September 9, 2011, before games in Hamilton (likely to be Japan), Auckland (France) and Wellington (Canada).

"There has always been a philosophical suggestion we are best to base ourselves in the city we play in," Shand said. "That's important for the venue and town we are playing in, so that weighed on our decision not to have one base [for the entire tournament].

"The initial thinking was, given that we are playing at home, to replicate as much as possible what we have done when playing in New Zealand because our home record is pretty good. We haven't lost too many at home so there's a feeling of, if it ain't broke, don't fix it."

The All Blacks established a world record 30-test unbeaten record at home until they were defeated by South Africa 30-28 in Dunedin last year. They have had their wobbles in recent times but still won nine of their last 11 tests on home soil.

The 1987 World Cup-winning side were famously billeted out to families in coach Brian Lochore's home town of Masterton for one night between their final pool match against Argentina in Wellington and their quarter-final against Scotland in Christchurch. They trained in many different areas.

"What Brian Lochore did was take us back to the people," former All Blacks captain Sean Fitzpatrick said.

"In 1987 we went to a lot of schools and very much back to the grass roots and got real buy-in. The World Cup is a wonderful opportunity for New Zealand, and not just the four main centres, to really connect with the smaller provinces.

"Being billeted out to families was one of the highlights of the tournament for me and the rest of New Zealand was saying, 'wow'. I don't see why they couldn't do it this time around.

"Our preparation was never hindered. We played a game on a Saturday, stayed with the families on the Sunday and got back into training on the Monday.

"We approached it as if we were on tour for six weeks. But it was a different time then, because of what happened in 1986 with the Cavaliers tour [to South Africa during apartheid]. We were trying to get the New Zealand public back on board.

"But it's paramount Graham Henry and the coaching staff do what they think they need to do. Whether those sorts of things ultimately fit into their preparation is the biggest consideration. They need to create the best environment to succeed."

Shand is well aware of the need for the All Blacks to connect with the community during the World Cup. He's also aware of the difficulties rugby is experiencing off the field as fans switch off and their part in getting the public's support.

They will use Waitakere's Trusts Stadium for their training base in Auckland, St Peter's School in Cambridge and Rugby League Park in Wellington.

"The community involvement has always been a platform we have had every week since this group [under Henry] has been together so there's always a dedicated opportunity to involve the community somehow with the team," Shand said.

"The form varies and we have tried lots of things. We are highly aware that's going to be hugely important to galvanise support.

"We are still working on what it will look like but we know it's one of the things we need to put a lot of attention into given the tough year rugby has endured and some people's view on the professional game particularly. That connection is going to be really important but we also have to balance it against good performance and preparing properly to play."

The congested calendar in 2011 will make it difficult for the All Blacks to go beyond the cities before the World Cup. There will be an extended Super Rugby competition and the Cup starts only a week after the Tri Nations.

"We are aware from talking to Brian Lochore what they did in'87 and there are certainly merits in some of those ideas," Shand said.

"It's something we will give some thought to if we can do something a little different - but it's not looking too favourable at the moment."

All Blacks' Cup draw

New Zealand's 2011 World Cup draw:
* September 9 vs Tonga, Auckland.
* September 16 vs Asia 1 (likely to be Japan), Hamilton.
* September 24 vs France, Auckland.
* October 2 vs Canada, Wellington