http://www.americanrugbynews.com/artman/publish/international/One_Year_To_Go.shtml [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FN7qbkuDVGE"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FN7qbkuDVGE[/ame] [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l70ViCH1Ces"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l70ViCH1Ces[/ame] One Year To Go With one year to go until Rugby World Cup 2011 kicks off in New Zealand, confidence is high that rugby's showcase tournament will be a success, generating a lasting legacy for New Zealand and the continued global development of the game. On the eve of applications opening for individual match tickets for the world's third-largest sports event, the Rugby New Zealand (RNZ) Limited organizing body and tournament owners Rugby World Cup Limited (RWCL) have announced that RWC 2011 is on track to deliver an event that New Zealanders and the global rugby family can be proud of. Bernard Lapasset, IRB Chairman, said: "The year to go milestone is a special time for the tournament and also for the people of New Zealand. “Rugby World Cup 2011 will be a special event that the whole country can be proud of and engage with through an irresistible mix of matches, live sites, festival and legacy activities and volunteering opportunities." New Zealand Prime Minister John Key underlined the New Zealand Government's support to the tournament, the biggest event ever to take place in the country, by launching the REAL nationwide festival which will run in the lead-up to and during RWC 2011, complimenting the team and match hosting festival and giving New Zealanders and tourists alike access to a diverse range of cultural events with a uniquely New Zealand flavor. In Auckland a special giant countdown clock was unveiled, while regions all over New Zealand also joined in the celebrations by contributing a short piece of video footage of their region shouting out or spelling out One Year to Go. The unique nationwide compilation can be viewed at www.youtube.com/rugbyworldcup
http://www.americanrugbynews.com/artman/publish/international/RWC_Ticketing_Phase_2.shtml RWC Ticketing Phase 2 Applications for the second ticketing phase for Rugby World Cup 2011 in New Zealand have opened with members of the global rugby community invited to apply for individual match tickets for 45 tournament matches. Just 24 hours after the tournament marked its one year to go milestone, approximately 400,000 individual tickets have been made available via the official tournament website www.rugbyworldcup.com for all matches except the semifinals and Final. All applications received up to Friday, October 8 will have an equal chance of success. “This is a big day for fans as it’s their first chance to buy individual tickets for specific matches and the last chance to enter the ballots for semifinals and Final tickets,” said Martin Snedden, CEO for Tournament Organizer Rugby New Zealand 2011 (RNZ 2011). “It’s also another significant milestone for us, just 24 hours after our one year to go celebrations at the redeveloped Eden Park.” With Rugby World Cup 2011 set to be the largest event ever hosted in New Zealand, the tournament organizers have confirmed that overall sales targets are on track after 503,000 tickets worth NZ$76m (US$55m) were snapped up during the first phase which featured Team and Venue Pool Packs. Tickets to quarterfinals and the Bronze Final were also available at this stage. Approximately 100,000 or one fifth of tickets were purchased by the global rugby family, with fans from the United Kingdom, Ireland, France, Australia and South Africa leading the way. Some 20,000 fans from 85 different countries were successful in their applications. Phase 1 Facts • Phase 1 featured Team and Venue Pool Packs as well as tickets to quarter-finals and the Bronze Final. • Sales recorded of 503,000 tickets worth $76m (US$55m). • Approximately 100,000 or one fifth of tickets were purchased overseas, with fans from United Kingdom, Ireland, France, Australia and South Africa leading the way. Some 20,000 fans from 85 different countries were successful in their applications. • Official Travel Agents responsible for selling travel packages to Rugby fans from around the world are on track to sell more than 100,000 tickets through the travel program to just over 30,000 overseas visitors. Current sales indicate a further 13,500 visitors through the official hospitality program. Phase 2 Facts: • The application period will run from Friday, September 10 until Friday, October 8. At that stage RNZ 2011 will process applications. In the event that demand exceeds availability, applications will be randomly selected. Notification of the outcome of each application will be issued on or before November 12. • As in Phase 1, using a MasterCard to apply for RWC 2011 Pool Packs will earn double entries into the ballots. • Full details on how the RWC 2011 Ticketing Program works can be found in the updated Rugby World Cup 2011 Tickets Media Guide. • All ticket prices for Phase 2 have been adjusted for the GST increase from October 1.
So I had a large number of Hyatt points. Which I worked damn hard for frankly. Staying in 4 different Hyatts in Dallas on four different nights in order to earn bonus points, staying at Hyatt Place's out of town to earn extra Hyatt Gold Passport points, staying at the Calgary Hyatt when I actually needed to be in Edmonton then drove 3 hours in a freezing morning to make a meeting etc........ but its paid of well. I just booked 8 nights at the Auckland Hyatt on points ( and probably will buy another 2) for Sept 10-18. Got the ticket application and applied for the two USA games and two Canada games. Misread the application and thought the $15 dollar NZ fee would apply to each ticket and instead it applies to the booking in total so I have 4 tix to RWC games and 8 nights in a Hyatt all for $130 NZ dollars. All I need is a flight, take down Old Glory from outside my house for the games (I'll buy a Canadian flag somewhere or other) and I'm golden. I know its a year off but if anyone else is going PM me. First beer is on me.
http://www.americanrugbynews.com/artman/publish/international/RWC_Game_Times.shtml RWC Game Times Rugby World Cup 2011 has marked another milestone with the announcement of kickoff times for rugby’s most prestigious event. The announcement comes after the opening of applications for Individual Match Tickets as fans around the globe look to book their place at the world’s third largest sporting event. “We have achieved a good balance,” said Martin Snedden, CEO for Tournament Organisers Rugby New Zealand 2011. “If New Zealand is to make the most of the platform RWC 2011 gives us to showcase our country to the world, then we need to ensure we maximise the global television audience for key matches. “What has now been agreed with event-owner Rugby World Cup Limited will help all hosting regions to promote themselves to the world and help fans, both domestic and international, to get on with planning their RWC 2011 experience with the start of the tournament now less than a year away. “The mix of match times should really contribute to the whole festival atmosphere of the tournament. Ten of the 48 matches will be played in the afternoon including the New Zealand v Canada pool match. A further 12 matches will begin by 6pm and another seven at 7.30pm.” Eden Park, the venue for the inaugural RWC Final in 1987, will herald a nationwide six week celebration of world-class rugby and REAL New Zealand Festival events when it hosts the Opening Ceremony on Friday, September 9 starting at approximately 7.45pm. The Opening Match between New Zealand and Tonga will kickoff at 8.30pm. The tournament will culminate in Auckland at the redeveloped Eden Park with the semifinals and final. The kickoff time for these matches was confirmed at 9.00pm when the match schedule was announced in March 2009. To see the full match schedule, including the USA’s kickoff times, click here
Another American fan once told me that the blame is squarely on the shoulders of Kiwi fans. They expect a great team all the time and the All Blacks are always having a win today attitude. She figured all the other teams gear up for the World Cup in terms of player development, getting younger players into tests, etc. She pointed to England in 2003 as a team that was molded from about 5 years out to peak in 03. Just her opinion but it made me at least think she might be onto something.
the blame lies squarely on the players shoulders, when you dominate world rugby like they have done in the past prior to WC year then at some point you have to do the business when it counts fail once sure ok stuff happens fail twice hard luck learn from mistakes but fail every time, then its not a question of fans or even coaches its the players not adapting to things going their way, nothing more obvious than in the 07 WC defeat against france, we were camped in their half and at times in their 22 for most of the second half, yet the team never maneuvered into a drop goal situation only when times got desperate did Luke Mcallister try a half ass 40 meter effort for some of the current team it will be their 3rd world cup and some say this bunch is the best so far, time will tell
I really think the 99 team was the one that let it all slip away. That semi final when France pull the greatest game ever out of its ___ was incredible. On that day, that French squad would have beaten any team, any year, any stadium. (I'll give NZ some credit the 95 final, they were robbed. Ok, wait. They were food poisoned and then they were robbed.)
Ha. Ya, I bored my wife to tears by spending 10 mins after the movie mentioning the food poisoning, the Times of London expose' and the subsequent confession by the maid or waitress. Still it was a good movie, I even forgave the Boks a little.
I might be wrong but haven't there been a few cases over the years of touring senior squads in RSA coming down with mystery bugs etc? I seem to remember a few years back during Englands tour of RSA something similar happened.
Ya, I'll give Matt Damon credit. He did a good job in that. So did Morgan Freeman. A lot of sports movies just aren't realistic, Invictus was. Yankee, I think that was a British Lions tour in the late 90's. Although its probably happened more than once. I feel dirty even talking about it. The Springboks are a fantastic team and the fact that I degrade them like this is awful, but still......................, it did happen.
Having somehow stumbled through accommodating 25'000 Lions fans in 2005... with the help of just about every campsite, camper van hire company and even a cruise ship that was used as a floating hotel, I hope NZ has got the accommodation situation sorted out now, Condor. We travelled with Gulliver's and were accommodated on the cruise ship, which was brilliant , except for the fact that the owners of the ship miscalculated their clientelle and stocked their bars for their usual passenger roster, ie: families on holiday, rather than 4000 male rugby fans all of whom drink almost exclusively beer, lager, guinness and cider, causing all their bars to run dry on the first night. By 1 am we were reduced to drinking wine and cocktails... It was terrible..!! Mutiny was close, but thankfully it was all sorted the next day. Phew. But I digress........ During the Lions tour, all the hotels in NZ were full to bursting point, you couldn't get a place on a campsite, or a hire a camper van for love nor money. This was for an influx of 25'000 fans, coming from Britain and Ireland alone and it presented the New Zealand tourist authorities with challenges which, actually, they met...... but only just. They did a brilliant job, but they were left in no doubt that RWC would present bigger challenges. RWC will bring more than double.... possibly treble... that number of people into the country, from a greater diversity of places. France... Argentina... USA & Canada.... South Africa.... all over. I'm sure that NZ will have learned from the 2005 Lions experience and things will go a lot more smoothly for visitors. All the same...... If I were going to the RWC (and I'm well miffed that I'm not..!!), I'd be checking with my tour operator to make sure my accommodation is sorted. Just a thought. .
That would actually be a laugh. Seeing a cruise ship full of rugby fans and the bar has run dry so all these burly Lions fans are all in their Lions shirts drinking Vermouth and ice cream drinks with little umbrellas.
Is anyone on this board going to NZ for the RWC ......or........ Glendale for the warm up game with Canada. I'm going to both and would love to meet up for a drink.