Gear up for rugby fans

BY MIKE BISHARA

Rodney will benefit from the 2011 Rugby World Cup tourism.

Local businesses are excited about as "near to a sure thing" as they can get - that Japan will emerge as the Asia One winner of an entry into the world cup after success in the Asian Five Nations tournament in May this year.

Rodney will host the Asia One entry for 11 days from September 3 next year, with training at the Silverdale Rugby Cub before they meet France - ironically New Zealand's nemesis in the last World Cup - at North Harbour Stadium on September 10, 2011.

The Japanese team is expected to attract the fourth highest number of supporters to New Zealand of all the teams in the competition, with 4500 visitors predicted to make the journey and stay a total of 92,000 days in the country.

Tourism New Zealand figures show that Japanese tourists spend on average $764 per person daily while in New Zealand.

Based on these statistics, 4500 visitors staying an average of 20.5 days each would generate $70.5 million for the New Zealand economy.

If successful, the Japanese team will be spending 44 percent of its stay in Rodney, so the local economy is likely to attract a significant share of that spending.

Japan, winners of the 2009 Asian Five Nations, will have to beat Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore and Kazakhstan for the honour of a world cup entry.

Other Howarth ATL projections prepared for the Auckland Regional Rugby World Cup Planning Group estimate that 66,000 visitors are expected to come to New Zealand for the Rugby World Cup and stay a total of 1.3 million days in the country, generating huge economic benefits.

During the World Cup, Rodney will host Namibia from September 20 to 22 and Samoa from September 26 to 30.

At a Silverdale Rugby Club function last night to bring together stakeholders who worked for Rodney's success, mayor Penny Webster said:

"We are very pleased to host World Rugby Cup teams and think it will be very good for our district to have them here.

"Tourism is one of the mainstays of the Rodney economy and, of course, we are delighted to host tourists in our district."

While in Rodney, teams will use the Silverdale Rugby Club as their training ground, stay at the Gulf Harbour Lodge and have access to the Gulf Harbour Country Club facilities.

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

Japan would be a great winner for Rodney on the playing front too.

The team is trained by legendary former All Black John Kirwan, who typically divides his time each month between Japan, his family in Italy, campaigning to lessen the stigma attached to depression, and keeping a watching brief on New Zealand.

The French may be the odds-on favourites for the opening game of the pool eliminations, which will decide the teams going forward in the competition, but the Japanese are going to get plenty of vocal support from both Kiwi and Japanese spectators.

Given that twice as many Japanese fans are expected to visit New Zealand as French fans, Howarth ATL estimates that almost 1400 of the 2000 odd international spectators at the event will be Japanese.

Kirwan has worked wonders with the Japanese national squad since taking over in 2007, chalking up 17 wins and a draw from 33 tests, the latest being a drubbing of Canada 46-8 and 27-6 last November.

He has big plans for his squad under a 10-year training plan he says could give them the Rugby World Cup title in 2019, playing a style of rugby based on speed and agility to counter the heavyweights who rule the roost.

The Samoan team is expected to attract around 200 supporters from offshore who will stay a total 4700 days in the country while Namibia is expected to attract a similar number staying for 4500 days in total.

Namibia take on South Africa at North Harbour Stadium on September 22 while the Samoans will meet the same foe at North Harbour on September 30.

The Rugby World Cup tournament features 48 matches, 13 played in Auckland with three at North Harbour Stadium.

- © Fairfax NZ News