PM Backs NZ Bid

[Alexjc]

The sheer hypocracy for John Key wether intentional or not is what annoys about this subjet.

Two years ago he and sports minister Murry McCully voted the 2018 bid down as the 'numbers simply didn't stack up at the time...And now suddenly NZ is sound enough to have a go for the 20's.

..p.s. I think John Key is turning out to be our greatest Prime Minister yet, but sometimes I think he should look into the future more often.

Amazed at the comments by Jacque Rogge saying 'NZ really punches above its weight when hosting major global events...an example to certain other nations that seem to crash and burn after.'

As for the CWGs, NZ is locked out untill 2026 at least...And I agree with Rols, let's host one if not both Youth Olympic formats next...Oh and keep being regular hosts of minor Fifa events.

[Sir Rols]

I assume this guy's some well-known rugby journo in the Shaky Isles:

Keith Quinn: All aboard the bandwagon, now

The 2011 Rugby World Cup is now entering its third week and it is going well. I hope you are enjoying it as much as I am.

As of this week New Zealand rugby is winning warm world praise for the staging success so far. And will our All Blacks, with the form they are showing, further build towards something special in a little over a month's time? We shall see.

But it's funny that as the RWC event is ticking over so smoothly we now have politicians rushing to be associated with it.

How come it's only now that the Rugby World Cup Minister Mr Murray McCully can see that New Zealand is capable of hosting future major sporting events?

Is it because there is a general election not far ahead and the Minister suddenly wants to jump on the populist bandwagon of talking big about how this country certainly could host another RWC sometime?

That is fine - but where was the Minister with all his positive support for New Zealand sports ambition when talk came up earlier this year about New Zealand possibly bidding to host the Commonwealth Games in 2018? 'Not interested' was the firm reply from his government. On financial grounds apparently.

As a result, Australia's holiday spot, the glitzy and shiny Gold Coast, and some place in southern Sri Lanka called Hambantota are now the only two Commonwealth countries in line to host that event.

New Zealand was 'not interested.' At the time when the bids closed for that event the current government was about as excited about it as a dead chook.

Mr McCully's statement of support for RWC is real feel-good stuff. Yep, we can host the Rugby World Cup again.

I might ask however, for all his confidence, when does he imagine this will be?

Realistically I say it will be decades before this country can again be in a position to host a full Rugby World Cup again. Remember it was a 24 year gap from the last one held here, in 1987. Do the math.

We already know that in 2015 the next Rugby World Cup will be held in England and we know too, the eighth RWC is already set for Japan in 2019.

After that South Africa and/or Australia, even France will be ahead of us in line to host again.

There is logic that those countries who hosted events in 1995, 2003 and 2007 will retain some kind of place in a rotation basis.

And we also know the International Rugby Board is keen for their showpiece event to be staged as soon as it can in North America's huge markets.

That means possibly it will not be until only as soon as 2031 or even as late as 2039 before might we see an RWC here again.

To glibly say 'we can do this again' is not facing reality. Other nations bigger than ours have sports-hosting ambitions too you know.

Other options

But there are other options. So let us see how supportive our very keen Government will be to offer their support for them instead.

Why not investigate to see what other worthy world rugby events can be secured for the future promotion of the game in this country?

The NZRU should not be left out of criticism. They too are thrilled that RWC 2011 is going well at the moment but the national rugby body has recently shown no interest at all in staging any other future Rugby World Cup events.

For instance though we have the annual Wellington sevens; there is also a Rugby World Cup tournament for sevens. It was last held in 2009 in Dubai and was won by Wales.

New Zealand crashed out in the quarter-finals in the men's event while our women made a bigger impact and only lost in the final to Australia after sudden-death play.

For the 2013 event, the NZRU signalled no interest. Instead that event has gone to Moscow, Russia.

Then there is the Under-20 Rugby World Cup which our lads have won four times in a row, most recently in Italy earlier this year.

Wouldn't that be a wonderful event to be staged around Auckland and Waikato or under the roof in Dunedin?

And when this writer dared to ask recently about the chances of the NZRU bidding to hold the 2014 Women's Rugby World Cup (for 15 aside teams) and offer a chance for our girls to try for FIVE cup wins in a row I was firmly told 'Keith, if you yourself can raise a million dollars for the bid, then we might have a go for it.'

And now in recent days from around the RWC traps I hear from solid authority that the NZRU is not even interested in sending a fully sponsor-funded New Zealand's women's rugby sevens team to a new IRB event Dubai in a few months' time.

Let us give a shameless pat on the back to Emirates Airlines; they want to fly in eight female international teams into Dubai in December to have a women's tournament playing there alongside the tradition men's event.

And a Dubai hotel chain (sorry I don't know which one) wants to put up the teams free of charge too.

Such an addition to the sevens circuit is all about the IRB preparing to start an women's sevens circuit in advance of the 2016 Olympic Games - where, you'll recall, the diminutive version of rugby has been awarded full Olympic status.

New Zealand has turned down sending a team to that event.

The NZRU seems to have forgotten that women were the vital link in getting sevens into the 2016 Summer Olympic Games programme - (The International Olympic Committee didn't want a blokes-only event) - and the NZRU also seems to have forgotten that a woman (Helen Clark was her name) played a vital role by being the first Head of State from any country to fly in and attempt to persuade the IRB to stage the 2011 Rugby World Cup in our country.

I can tell you the IRB was impressed with her presence. Some said it made the difference in securing this year's event ahead of other strong bids.

Look, grandiose statements when a general election is close by are all very well.

But warm words do not fool those of us who watch the world scene closely.

How about it Mr McCully - and the NZRU - let's built on the infrastructure of what is working so well at the moment in New Zealand and turn it into a positive for other events in the immediate years ahead.

Or we could wait till 2039 I suppose.

TVNZ

[mattygs]

Quinny (though some people can't stand him) is I guess the grand daddy of NZ sports brodcasting. He cut his teeth at the Munich Olympics and I think has broadcasted most Olympics for the NZBC/TVNZ and more recently done some work with Sky. He is also pretty famous for his orgasmic commentary of Jonah's magic try at the 95 World Cup.

Anyway, he's hit the nail on the head, and I agree with Alex in regards to his opinions on John Key. I think he's shaping out as a fantastic Prime Minister, but this news about their turn about on major events really does just piss me off.

[Scotguy]

John Key is Slimey, i wouldnt trust him - another 3 years of his government will make the rich richer and poorer poorer. State assests will go

Strange how people forget his homophobic and right wing views of the past.

I also was disappointed that he didnt speak any Maori during the opening ceremony.

We also need to remember that it was Helen Clark and the Labour Led government that brought the cup here and as people have said Key and his Government rejected a 2018 CWG bid. It seems that he is basking in the success of the cup, telling people what they want to hear but then not putting forward the opportunities to allow a NZ bid for a CWG

[Alexjc]

Quinny (though some people can't stand him) is I guess the grand daddy of NZ sports brodcasting...

Anyway, he's hit the nail on the head, and I agree with Alex in regards to his opinions on John Key. I think he's shaping out as a fantastic Prime Minister, but this news about their turn about on major events really does just piss me off.

I suppose in his defence, at that time...NZ was against the wall and there were serious misgivings about how bad the economy was...Remember that National inherited massive debt caused by the collapes of the housing market etc...

[Alexjc]

John Key is Slimey, i wouldnt trust him - another 3 years of his government will make the rich richer and poorer poorer. State assests will go..

Some assets will be sold down into Public Private Partnerships, they work better.

I also was disappointed that he didnt speak any Maori during the opening ceremony.

Considering most of the ceremony was in Maori, your point?

Scotguy, your always welcome here in NZ, but choose your words wisely, it's so easy to offend unintentionally...