2011 New Zealand Rugby World Cup

New Zealand Country Life - Rugby World Cup New Zealand was selected as host for the 2011 Rugby World Cup at a meeting of the IRB in Dublin on the 17th of November 2005. New Zealand defeated bids by Japan and South Africa to win the hosting rights, and will be acting as the sole host of the tournament for the first time in Rugby World Cup history, having co-hosted the inaugural tournament with Australia.

The 2011 New Zealand Rugby World Cup will be played over seven weekends, starting on September 10, 2011, and ending in Auckland on October 22, 2011.

Twenty national teams will participate in the event, with the majority having qualified by virtue of their performance in the 2007 Rugby World Cup.

Cost, Revenue and Benefits

The 2011 Rugby World Cup is expected to reverse recent trends, in which the profit made from the tournament increased substantially every four years. The tournament is expected to cost New Zealand in the region of NZ$310 million, whilst earning NZ$280 million in ticket sales for a projected $30 million short-fall.

While each game is expected to attract a full house, the smaller stadia being used to host games, as well as the challenge of travelling to New Zealand, are expected to have a significant impact on overall tournament revenue.

Whilst the 2011 Rugby World Cup is expected to run at a loss, it is nevertheless projected to have a very positive effect on the growth of the rugby union market in Asia, with geographic positioning allowing this region to follow Rugby World Cup matches at convenient times.

Many believe that the Rugby World Cup will be hosted by Japan in 2015, thereby giving the game an additional chance to establish a solid foothold in this region. Despite the projected benefits of hosting the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand, several unions have criticised the New Zealand selection as host, and Australia voted against their trans-Tasman rivals in the bidding process.

Modifications to Tournament Structure

The 2011 Rugby World Cup will use a new seeding system to determine draws for the group stages of the tournament. The IRB rankings as at the 1st of December 2008 will determine which teams head the four pools, and should prevent pool draws similar to those seen in previous Rugby World Cups.