The Japanese Rugby Team visited Rodney this week in preparation for their visit to New Zealand during the World Cup tournament next year. The team will be one of three teams Rodney will be hosting in September 2011, as Samoa and Namibia will also be staying.
During their visit this week, the Japanese team held a training session at Silverdale Rugby Club on Monday where they were welcomed to Rodney by members of Te Herenga Waka o Orewa, Silverdale Rugby Club Officials and Mayor Penny Webster. The Orewa College First XV also performed a haka at the ceremony.
On Tuesday, the team visited The Leisure Centre at Stanmore Bay where they will be training during their stay next year and were impressed with the range of facilities on offer.
Their visit will culminate with a match against North Harbour at North Harbour Stadium in Albany tonight. Events kick off from 5.30pm onwards, with the match commencing at 7.30pm.
When they are in Rodney for the World Cup tournament, the team plans to stay at the Gulf Harbour Lodge where they will have access to the facilities at the world class Gulf Harbour Country Club.
The Japanese team is expected to attract the fourth highest number of supporters to New Zealand of all the teams in the competition. 4,500 Japanese visitors are predicted to come to New Zealand during the tournament and stay a total of 92,000 days in the country.
48 matches will be played during the Rugby World Cup tournament, 13 of which will be played in Auckland. Three matches will be played at North Harbour Stadium, only 15 minutes from the Hibiscus Coast.
When the Japanese team, along with the Samoan and Namibian teams, return to Rodney in September 2011 they will be invited to participate in a range of activities around Rodney District.
Further open training sessions will be held in Rodney in September 2011 where locals will be able to see international teams in action, and schools around the Auckland Region will be invited to be part of the Rugby World Cup through a school engagement programme.
Four local community festivals to celebrate the Rugby World Cup are planned in October 2011 in Kumeu, Helensville, Warkworth and Stanmore Bay. The festivals will also feature live screenings of Rugby World Cup matches.
Plans to assist local businesses and tourism operators to take advantage of the opportunities offered by the Rugby World Cup have already kicked off through a series of workshops held in March to assist businesses to consider how they can prepare themselves for the tournament. Further local workshops are also planned for businesses later this year and local marketing promotion strategies will also be implemented. Planting programmes in the towns within Rodney will be carried out in 2010 and 2011 to help beautify areas all across the district in preparation for the World Cup.
