Festival launched for Rugby World Cup

A festival of events to help celebrate next year's Rugby World Cup has been launched, aiming to showcase the best of the country to visitors to the tournament.

At an event to mark being one year away from kickoff of the first tournament game, Prime Minister John Key announced that the festival running through the tournament from September 9 to October 23 would be called the Real New Zealand Festival.

It aims to showcase New Zealand arts, food and wine, heritage, culture, entertainment, industries, business, experiences and lifestyle to tourists and locals alike.

"The programme for the festival celebrates the aspects of living in New Zealand that kiwis are most proud of - authentic experiences and events that showcase our people, landscapes, culture and stories," festival director Briony Ellis said.

"There will be plenty of time between games so we want to encourage people to take the long way round from one match to the next and really see the country and meet the people."

Among the events highlighted already are the Bluff Oyster Festival, the West Coast Whitebait and Wild Foods Challenge, the Marlborough Wine Festival Challenge, the Kawerau Woodfest, Agritech Field Days in Canterbury and Waikato, the Auckland International Boat Show, the World of Wearable Art exhibition in Wellington and New Zealand Fashion Week in Auckland.

Ms Ellis said it would be the first time a single nationwide co-ordinated festival was staged alongside the Rugby World Cup.

Guests at today's ceremony were provided with samples of iconic New Zealand food such as whitebait fritters. Models wore costumes from the world of wearable art show, including one costume designed to look like a punga.

Applications for a share of $9.5 million of funding assistance for festival projects closes on September 17.

- NZPA