Silverdale strikes gold

BY MICHELE ONG

Rodney's success in bidding to host three teams in the 2011 Rugby World Cup was much celebrated.

A party on Monday at the Silverdale Rugby Club toasted Rodney's success in cinching the deal to host Namibia, Samoa and Asia One - probably Japan - over the world cup season.

The teams will train at the rugby club, rest and relax at the Gulf Harbour Lodge and have access to Gulf Harbour Country Club facilities.

They will also be able to use The Leisure Centre in Stanmore Bay and the Northern Arena complex in Silverdale, the latter scheduled for completion by the end of this year.

Silverdale Rugby Club chairman Jonathan Marshall says the club is excited to have the teams training on its fields.

"We've got a beautiful spot out here. And we've all the facilities here available to them."

Harbour Rugby operations manager Miles Marcroft, says the International Rugby Board was "very, very strict and very stringent" when it came to selecting an appropriate club for the teams to train.

"A few of the clubs in Auckland applied to host the teams. But only two were selected. One's the Takapuna Rugby Club and the other's us."

Mr Marshall says the club is able to provide the teams with the "true quintessential rugby experience".

"We've had a few All Blacks playing for the club. Luke McAlister played for us when he was younger. He's still a club member."

He says the teams are able to meet people who are both passionate and knowledgeable about the game.

But the teams' experience of Kiwiana does not end there, as Gulf Harbour Lodge managers Adriaan and Marie Hunnego prepare to accommodate them.

Mrs Hunnego says the lodge is well prepared and is committed to making the teams' stay a very memorable one by providing good services.

She plans to hire a Japanese receptionist when the Asia One team calls.

"I'll ring the Japanese Embassy to see if they've a translator they can provide me with. This'll at least break the language barrier."

She says being able to accommodate the three teams during the world cup is really exciting, describing it as a "phoenix rising from the ashes" moment for the lodge, a former Bluechip investment property which collapsed under a previous owner.

Asia One will spend 11 nights in Rodney, the Samoan team five and Namibia three.

The Japanese team is predicted to attract 4500 visitors. Tourism New Zealand figures show Japanese tourists spend on average $746 a day while in the country.

Based on that figure, the 4500 tourists expected will spend an average 20.5 days here, helping generate about $70.5 million for the economy. Samoa is expected to attract at least 200 supporters who will stay a total of 4700 days in the country, with Namibia bringing in similar numbers.

The Rodney Economic Development Trust is running a series of workshops to help businesses in the area maximise opportunities created by the Rugby World Cup.

- © Fairfax NZ News