The Perfect Storm – Rugby World Cup 2011

The 2007 Rugby World Cup in France showed just how big rugby is. Viewer figures for the live championship broke the 2 million mark in true rugby form for the first time in the tournament’s history according to the sport’s governing body, the International Rugby Board (IRB). An estimated 4.2 billion viewers were glued to their television screens during the 2007 Rugby World Cup. Television coverage doubled across the globe in countries such as Spain, Italy, Portugal and across Asia. There was no doubt that viewers in South Africa and the entire southern hemisphere would be responsible for a giant megawatt spike during the championship, but it was a surprise that broadcasts soared dramatically in Russia, India, Canada and the US, demonstrating that rugby is reaching the global market in a major way.

And it’s no wonder Both the group stage and knockout rounds of the 2007 Rugby World Cup were of an exceptionally high standard, wowing fans with megawatt levels of intensity. The fighting and skill that was displayed on the pitch was relentless. Rugby is a game with complex psychology that requires matching tactics and of course the ‘will to kill’ punctuated with big punches, stomps and eye gouging etc. they do it like no other game on earth.

If 2007 was any use, the world can expect the perfect rugby storm to hit New Zealand in 2011.

After months of speculation as to whether the number of participating teams would be reduced to 16, the IRB announced on Friday 30 November 2007 that the 2011 Rugby World Cup tournament would once again feature 20 teams. Twelve teams have already qualified as a result of finishing in the top 3 in each group in the 2007 tournament, leaving 8 qualifying places up for grabs. Argentina, Australia, England, Fiji, France, Ireland, Italy, New Zealand, Scotland, South Africa, Tonga and Wales have qualified so far.

There are bound to be many twists and turns between now and 2011. Three long years stand between us and the championship, plenty of time to build heavy arsenals. The 2011 World Cup is destined to be an all-out war.

Before the existence of the inaugural Rugby World Cup hosted by Australia and New Zealand in May and June 1987, there were only regional international rugby competitions. Although the Rugby World Cup is a relatively recent event, raw, complex and beautiful rugby has been around for a long time. The legendary “Six Nations Championship” began in 1883 as the “Home Nations” championship between England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales. In 1910, the “Home Nations” became the “Five Nations” and France crossed the Channel to join the tournament. From 1931 to 1939, France did not participate and the championship became “Home Nations” again. In 2000, Italy joined to make it the “Six Nations”.

The Tri-Nations is the oldest rugby series held in the southern hemisphere with the first game played between Australia and New Zealand in 1903. South Africa made its first tour of both nations in 1921.

Rugby was played at the Summer Olympics for the first time at the 1900 Paris games, where France won the first gold medal. The 1908 London Olympics again saw rugby union win gold for Australasia. At the 1920 Antwerp games and the 1924 Paris games, both golds went to the United States. However, rugby union was soon dropped from the Summer Olympics programme.

In the 1950s the idea of ​​a Rugby World Cup was tossed around but met with opposition from most of the IRFB unions. In the 1980s, the idea was up in the air again when the Australian Rugby Union (ARU) and the New Zealand Rugby Union (NZRU) independently wrote to the IRFB in the hope of organizing the first rugby union tournament. the Rugby World Cup. In 1985 it became clear that Australia, New Zealand and France were in favor of a World Cup. Even the South African delegates voted in favor knowing that the international sports boycott by their apartheid regime would prevent their participation in a world cup. The English and Welsh delegates switched sides and with a vote of 10 to 6, the IRFB approved the inaugural cup.

Preparations for the 2011 Rugby World Cup are running like clockwork. As of February 19, 2008, New Zealand’s progress in preparing for and implementing plans for the event received an A+ rating from the President and CEO of the International Rugby Board.

The 2011 Rugby World Cup is expected to cost around NZ$310.0 million and generate NZ$280 million in ticket sales. The 2011 Rugby World Cup will be the biggest sporting event ever staged in New Zealand, dwarfing the 1987 Rugby World Cup, the 1990 Commonwealth Games, the 2003 Copa America and the British and Irish Lions tour from 2005 to New Zealand. Around 70,000 foreign visitors are expected to travel to New Zealand as a result of the 2011 Rugby World Cup.

Accommodation solutions for the 2011 Rugby World Cup will have to be creative to accommodate the expected 70,000 visitors. Auckland can use cruise and motorhome sites to help alleviate any potential accommodation shortages. Many rugby fans can expect to sleep on luxury cruise ships in Auckland’s stunning harbour.

Visit the official Tourism New Zealand site to plan your vacation and find out what’s happening.

Ticket prices for the Rugby World Cup 2011 are expected to be based on international prices and reflect the type of ticket charges for the semi-final and final of the Rugby World Cup 2007 in France. The average price of a ticket to the 2007 Rugby World Cup semi-final was around $500 and the average price to the final was around $750.