Tri-Nations to boost economy

ECONOMIC BOOST: The Tri-Nations rugby tournament is set to boost the economies of New Zealand, Australia and South Africa by $241.7m.

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Fresh research estimates rugby's Tri-Nations tournament will contribute US$174.3 million [NZ$241.7m] to the economies of New Zealand, Australia and South Africa this year.

This weekend's third Bledisloe Cup test alone is expected to benefit the Sydney economy by US$28m, according to the research commissioned by Mastercard.

Tri-Nations tests in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch this year drew economic boosts of $8m, $11m and $12m to each city respectively.

The Centre for the International Business of Sport (CIBS) at England's Coventry University based its estimates on "analysis of attendance, TV audience, visitor spend and other economic indicators".

Direct and indirect effects of the Tri-Nations games included ticket sales, food and beverage sales, merchandise sales, accommodation and visitor numbers at local attractions.

CIBS says the tournament's value has been boosted by a 50,000 strong increase attendances and growing broadcaster interest. 

The addition of the FNB Stadium and its 94,000-seat capacity represented more than half of the attendance boost, while other stadia such as Eden Park were not at full capacity.

Television audiences in New Zealand have increased by 8 percent on 2009 and CIBS predicts an increase in overall audience in the three markets for 2010.

The research also suggests the economic impact of the Tri-Nations will jump up to US$213m [NZ$295.4m] when the fourth team - Argentina - is admitted to the tournament for the 2012 season.

In March MasterCard released a similar report on the 2010 Six Nations Championship in the Northern Hemisphere, which put its worth at US$632.81m to the participating nations.

Mastercard is a worldwide sponsor for next year's Rugby World Cup in New Zealand.

- © Fairfax NZ News