KEY POINTS:
Wellington and Christchurch have been confirmed as venues for the quarterfinals of the 2011 rugby World Cup in New Zealand.
Wellington and Christchurch will host two quarterfinal matches each while Auckland, down to host the semifinals and final, also won a bid to host the bronze (third placing) match.
Rugby New Zealand (RNZ) 2011 chief executive Martin Snedden made the announcement in Wellington today.
Auckland, Christchurch and Wellington had each bid for the quarterfinal matches and Hamilton had joined Auckland in bidding for the third placing match.
"Each region has shown a strong desire to help us deliver a world class tournament and also to deliver a festival which realises our `stadium of four million' philosophy," Snedden said.
"This decision gives fans in the Wellington and Christchurch regions something really special to look forward to in 2011. The quarterfinal weekends in both cities will be tremendous sporting and festival occasions."
The four quarterfinals will be played on the weekend of October 7, 8, 9 in 2011. The semifinals on October 15 and 16 and the final on the Labour weekend of October 21-23. The third placing match will be before the final on a date to be confirmed.
The decisions announced today were unchanged from those recommended by the board of RNZ 2011 Ltd and ratified by the board of Rugby World Cup Ltd (RWCL) which met in Dublin, Ireland overnight.
Snedden says that RNZ 2011 knew that "in certain circumstances, holding the games in Auckland would have meant a better financial return to us".
"But in the end, we felt that whatever the difference was worth it in terms of achieving the `stadium of four million'."
He said the difference in income missed out by spreading the tournament to Wellington and Christchurch were " not inconsiderable".
The World Cup is expected to record a $30 million loss but that has been underwritten by the Government.
RWCL general manager Ross Young who was in Wellington for today's announcement said RWCL fully supported the decisions announced today.
"Based on past experience placing two quarterfinals in two venues is the best option.
"Wellington and Christchurch have great reputations as international rugby venues. These cities and their surrounding regions will be fantastic hosts.
"It means there is clear benefits for local and travelling international supporters and for the participating teams in planning for their logistical requirements and ticketing needs for this important stage of the tournament."
Snedden said work had begun on ticketing strategy.
It was a complex operation and would take up to 12 months to work that out.
However, he gave an assurance that local fans would get their share of tickets.
"We are determined that that will be the case, so there's a balance to be made and we'll make sure we'll hit that balance," he said.
Rugby World Cup Minister Clayton Cosgrove said the event would boost New Zealand's economy by $500 million and the quarterfinals would provide a huge lift for the respective regions.
But with 40 pool matches yet to be allocated, (as well as team bases), there were plenty of other opportunities for regions to maximise economic, social and cultural and tourism spin-offs from the event.
- NZPA
