Rugby World Cup 2011 Flagbearers Quest Goes Into Extra Time

29 July 2011

Rugby World Cup 2011 Flagbearers Quest Goes Into Extra Time

Young kiwis aged between 14 and 16 have been granted an extra 10 days in which to get their entries in to win the right to be one of the flagbearers leading out the 20 teams contesting Rugby World Cup 2011.

Altogether, Rugby World Cup 2011 Worldwide Partner Emirates Airline has reserved 91 flagbearers’ spots for New Zealanders across the 48 matches in the Tournament.

“We thought it important to give youngsters up and down New Zealand the very best chance to enter for this experience of a lifetime and felt that many of them might have missed the opportunity because of being away during the school holidays,” said Emirates New Zealand manager Chris Lethbridge.

“With the holidays for most not finishing until this weekend, it has been decided to extend the entry period until midnight on August 10.”

To come under the selectors’ eyes, entrants have to express in 50 words or less why they should be a flagbearer, completing their application through the www.emirates.com/nz/flagbearer website.
All Black great and television rugby commentator Grant Fox will help select the youngsters to carry the flags of participating nations on to the field ahead of each match.

Each young Kiwi selected will also receive two free match tickets for their parents or adult guardians.

All but four of the flagbearers for the 48 matches will be drawn from New Zealand. The opportunity for the young Kiwis will include flagbearer spots for the quarter and semi-finals, Bronze Final, and the Final itself, as well as all of the pool matches.

One spot in the Final will be reserved for a New Zealand-domiciled Skysurfer (non-adult) member of the Emirates frequent flyer club, Skywards.

For the pool matches, the competition will be divided into regions, guaranteeing local provincial representation among the teams’ flagbearers.

The tournament kicks off on September 9.

Because there are no longer any matches being played in Christchurch, entrants from Canterbury will be among those considered for matches being played in Dunedin and Nelson.

Emirates was the first sponsor to sign up as a Worldwide Partner for Rugby World Cup 2011, and has a strong affiliation with rugby, including:

• Principal partner of the Rugby World Cup Sevens 2009, which took place in Dubai at Emirates’ newly built sporting venue, ‘The Sevens.’ The tournament was shown in over 200 countries via 29 broadcasters.
• Sponsor of four HSBC IRB Sevens World Series events - in Dubai, South Africa, London and Edinburgh.
• Shirt sponsors of the England and Samoa Sevens teams and the Emirates Western Force (Australia) Super 15 team. Official Airline of the USA national teams.
• Sponsors of the IRB referees and match officials.

About Rugby World Cup 2011

Rugby World Cup is the crown jewel of the sport and a prominent global property – with television coverage of Rugby World Cup 2007 spanning more than 200 territories, reaching a cumulative audience of 4 billion viewers. Rugby World Cup 2011 is being held in New Zealand for the first time since the inaugural event in 1987. Teams representing 20 nations will compete in 48 matches across 12 Host Cities between 9 September and 23 October 2011. The Final will be held at Auckland's historic Eden Park. See www.rugbyworldcup.com.

ENDS

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