Football World Cup trophy coming to NZ

Reuters

DOWN UNDER: The FIFA World Cup is to make a brief visit to New Zealand.

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World football's biggest prize, the World Cup, is to spend a day in New Zealand as part of a global tour ahead of the finals tournament in South Africa.

One of the tournament sponsors, Coca-Cola, said today that the trophy would be in New Zealand on April 27.

The company's South Pacific president, Gareth Edgecome, said New Zealanders were being given the chance to celebrate the All Whites' qualification for the tournament by seeing the trophy.

The tour, which began at world body Fifa's headquarters in Zurich last September, will eventually visit 84 countries before the month-long tournament begins on June 11.

Edgecombe said those involved in getting New Zealand added to the tour included All White skipper Ryan Nelsen and New Zealand Football.

Exactly where the trophy would be while in New Zealand was still to be confirmed.

NZ Football chairman Frank van Hattum said he was thrilled at the announcement.

"It's fantastic Coca-Cola has been able to facilitate this," he said.

"For me it's a once in a lifetime opportunity for Kiwis to get up close to the World Cup. It's probably the most coveted trophy in world sport. Now that we are going to be part of the tournament, it's extra special."

Van Hattum, who was a member of the squad when New Zealand made their only other appearance at a World Cup finals, in Spain in 1982, said having the trophy in New Zealand added to a memorable few months for the game in this country.

He believed it would be the first time the World Cup, either this version or the earlier one, which was handed permanently to Brazil when they won it for the third time in 1970, had been to New Zealand.

- NZPA