05 Nov 2008
Whakatane's Rugby World Cup Campaign
Whakatane could stand to benefit when the 2011 Rugby World Cup is staged in New Zealand.
While the town obviously doesn’t have the playing facilities to host a big international match, the region is still expected to get a major boost from an expected influx of tourists when rugby-mad visitors from around the world descend on New Zealand.
The event has prompted the Whakatane District Council to bring forward plans to give Rugby Park stadium a major upgrade including changing rooms, toilet facilities and an improvement to the turf itself.
Toi EDA events manager Mike van der Boom, says the grounds could then be attractive to visiting rugby teams wanting to acclimatise before the cup games. But he adds that having an updated stadium will also open the door to a variety of exciting events that could be hosted in the region beyond 2011.
Mike is now seeking interest and ideas from clubs and businesses to allow the acclimatisation concept to be pitched to visitors – and he has the backing of the Bay of Plenty Rugby Union.
Public relations director Tupara Morrison says Whakatane is “very much on the map” as part of the union’s regional proposal, and says peripheral games could be hosted locally if the stadium is updated.
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