Warm-Up For Rugby World Cup 2011 For Visitors To Christchurch

Christchurch is hosting New Zealand’s only Bledisloe Cup match this season and rugby fever is building as the city prepares to welcome thousands of fans – including a special celebrity supporter in this Saturday’s expected capacity crowd.

Emmy-award winning TV host and Canterbury ambassador Phil Keoghan is bringing his entire family to the match, where the Canterbury Rugby Football Union has organised iconic Kiwi band Dragon to perform prior to the teams taking the field.

With Rugby World Cup 2011 just over a year away, it is the perfect time for visitors check out what Christchurch has in store. The city is expecting a large contingent of Australian fans as well as All Blacks supporters from all over New Zealand.

Christchurch, in the heart of the South Island, will be the base for the Wallabies during next year’s Tournament and has a proud rugby heritage. It is also the hometown of current Wallabies coach Rob Deans.

“Christchurch and Canterbury really are the home of rugby in New Zealand and we’re very proud of our links with the sport. We’re expecting a sell-out crowd for this Bledisloe Cup game – the first big international to be played in the redeveloped AMI stadium – and we’re hoping that a big proportion of that crowd will be Australians supporting their team,’’ Christchurch & Canterbury Tourism chief executive Christine Prince says.

“It’s a great chance for people intending to come here for Rugby World Cup 2011 to get a feel for the city and enjoy a pre-tournament warm-up!’’

Christchurch’s AMI Stadium, which will be known as Stadium Christchurch for Rugby World Cup 2011, is within easy walking distance of the central city and a special pedestrian route – dubbed Rugby Road –has been set up by the Christchurch City Council to make it fun and easy for rugby fans to get to and from the stadium during next year’s Tournament. Spectators at the Bledisloe Cup game will get a sneak preview of the route and the chance to join a host of celebrities and rugby greats in a festive march to the stadium, beginning at 5pm on Saturday at Cathedral Square.

“It’s going to be a great night’s entertainment and the city’s bars and restaurant will be pumping. Christchurch people love their rugby and really get into the spirit of the occasion so I know visitors to the city will have a fantastic time and will be left in no doubt that Christchurch is the place to base themselves for Rugby World Cup 2011," Ms Prince says.

The city is expecting huge numbers of visitors for New Zealand's only Bledisloe Cup game, with all the city's accommodation fully booked for Friday and Saturday.

The team at Christchurch's i-SITE visitor centre in Cathedral Square are on the ball in Cathedral Square for Paint It All Black week. Staff are dressed all in black with silver fern tattoos on their faces. All staff are adopting a player and hoping to score the most points.

The i-SITE, in the Old Post Office Building, has been all blacked out for Bledisloe – with the windows blacked out, black flags, and black streamers.

All visitors will get a free bag of All Black Jelly Beans if they can name an All Black player and they can go in the draw to win a special Rugby World Cup All Black jersey, with the winning entry drawn on Sunday.

ENDS

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