The Boks win France’ biggest tourism promotion ever
While the Boks have walked away with the Webb Ellis Cup, the estimated 500,000 extra visitors to France wend their way home, the giant Kiwi rugby ball at the base of the Eiffel Tower is being deflated, to be used for promotions before the 2011 cup, which is expected to contribute more than $500 million to the New Zealand economy and $250 million to Auckland, an article in The Dominion Post says that but as one Rugby World Cup end, plans for the next kicked into motion – but tensions between Auckland’s new mayor and the Government continue to flare up.
Last week, fresh from being elected, John Banks threatened to pull $30 million out of the $50 million that Auckland City Council had pledged to the upgrade of Eden Park.
But Rugby World Cup Minister Trevor Mallard said yesterday that work was still going ahead – and Mr Banks’ position could result in a lower-standard stadium.
“We’re not doing anything like holding up design work or anything like that at the moment. If it ends up being smaller … and less permanent, well, really it’s Auckland’s loss, I would have thought.
“It might be that you can knock a few million off just not doing some of the internal decorating.”
Mr Banks said yesterday he did not want to react to the comments directly. “I don’t take that kind of bait. I’ve known Mr Mallard for a long, long time … I know how he operates. He just needs to step back and let the prime minister negotiate with Auckland money for the 2011 upgrade of Eden Park.”
He reiterated that he was not responsible for Auckland, but for the constituents of the Auckland City Council only. Other local councils had not contributed anything and the Auckland Regional Council had “vanished without trace”, he said. The Government was also running big cash surpluses.
“The Government got the World Cup to New Zealand. They took the credit for that, and fair enough.” But I want to see the colour of Mr Mallard’s money.”
Earlier yesterday, South Africa and England fought out a tryless final for the 2007 cup, with penalties accounting for all the points in the Springboks’ 15-6 victory, their second in the World Cup.
Though England, the defending champions had most of the possession, and came within inches of a crucial try, they never pierced the South African defence and while New Zealanders were working out who to support – or if they even cared – Mr Mallard announced the establishment of a Rugby World Cup 2011 “leveraging and legacy project”.
The 2011 cup was expected to contribute more than $500 million to the New Zealand economy and $250 million to Auckland. The project, due to launch in the next few months, would work to deliver lasting economic, environmental and social benefits, he said.
A government liaison office would also be established to work with tournament organisers.
And that giant rugby ball launched at the base of the Eiffel Tower just before the All Blacks’ devastating loss to France? Like New Zealand’s hopes, it is being deflated, but will be used during the next four years to drum up support for the 2011 cup.
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