Stadium boss checks the competition

He didn't wear a costume, but David Davies says he liked what he saw at the Wellington Sevens rugby tournament.

Mr Davies, the chief executive of Dunedin Venues Management Ltd (DVML) - which will run the Forsyth Barr Stadium - has confirmed he made a scouting trip to Wellington's Westpac Stadium to watch the Sevens on Friday night.

He said he wore a suit, after attending meetings in Wellington earlier in the day, but once inside the Cake Tin he was "described by two fairly lively individuals as [dressing like] a doctor".

"I just happened to be wearing my business clothing and stuck out like a sore thumb," he said.

Despite only attending for part of the two-day tournament, Mr Davies said it was clear Wellington had established a "unique" Sevens tournament "which has got a character all of it's own".

DVML was still planning a multi-agency bid to try to poach the annual event from Wellington for the Forsyth Barr Stadium from 2012, when the capital's contract with the New Zealand Rugby Union expired.

However, it was clear Dunedin would have to put an offer on the table that did not seek to replicate Wellington's success, where the focus was on "adult entertainment" for those aged 20-45, he said.

"I think from Dunedin's perspective we need to come up with a different positioning for the Sevens.

"There isn't a great deal of what I would call family entertainment [in Wellington] . . .

For anyone to seriously challenge Wellington's position, they would have to offer a uniquely different flavour to it.

"I think that's the angle we are coming from," he said.

It was too soon to elaborate on the details of the pitch, but DVML staff would be meeting other potential stakeholders within the next month to devise a plan for the event, he said.

A bid was expected to be made to the NZRU later this year.

The bid would also be a chance for DVML staff and others to test their ability to come together in a co-ordinated way in bidding for a major event, which would itself have benefits, he said.

Auckland Mayor John Banks has indicated he was keen to see the event head north, telling the Dominion Post newspaper the city would "certainly have a run at it" - if only to stop Dunedin getting it.