KEY POINTS:
The final of the 2011 Rugby World Cup staged in New Zealand will be held over Labour Weekend (October 22-23), Rugby World Cup Limited announced today.
Today's announcement coincided with the opening of the Rugby New Zealand 2011 office in Wellington, which was officially opened by Prime Minister Helen Clark.
Rugby New Zealand 2011 Ltd CEO Martin Snedden welcomed the announcement, saying all New Zealanders would be able to enjoy the event.
"As we saw with the Lions Series and America's Cups held in New Zealand, people like to make the most of these major events, and bringing the curtain down over a long weekend will allow everyone to do that," he said.
However, an announcement of the exact date of the final as well as the starting date for the tournament were still some way off as they are subject to current discussions around the structure of the tournament.
Rugby World Cup Minister Trevor Mallard also said slight changes would also be made to 2011 school terms.
The 2007 Rugby World Cup kicks off in France on September 8.
- NZ HERALD STAFF
