Rugby World Cup
18th August 2010 by Andrew Needs, Ottawa | No Comments
With this year’s Bledisloe Cup (for trans-Tasman Rugby superiority) already decided and the All Blacks looking pretty good for the Tri Nations Trophy (which includes South Africa) as well, most New Zealanders are probably wishing the Rugby World Cup was this year and not next. Of course there are two key elements to RWC 2011: the sporting competition itself and the much wider aspect of being host nation of such a large international event. I can’t see New Zealand ever hosting an Olympics or Soccer World Cup so this is about as big as it gets for us. And it will be huge.
During my time as Foreign Policy adviser to our Foreign Minister (Murray McCully) I got a small insight into just how big a deal this is for New Zealand. While my own focus was on the foreign policy matters of the day, Minister McCully’s attention was in demand on three fronts: as Foreign Minister, Sports Minister, and Minister for the Rugby World Cup. Telling my colleagues back in MFAT head office that their issues were not always front and centre for the Minister was sometimes a difficult message to deliver. The reality is however, that RWC 2011, like the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics was for Canada, is a once in a generation opportunity to show-case our nation to the world. For New Zealand then, this event transcends sport.
We will, over coming months, be increasing our own profiling of the event here in Canada, where, while rugby is not the dominant sport it is in New Zealand, it still enjoys a significant following. Canada has a more than handy national team and of course New Zealand and Canada are in the same pool for next year. I usually have no trouble barracking for Canada in sports as we are rarely in direct conflict. This time it is a no contest: Go the Blacks.
