Athletics New Zealand has changed the dates of its major national winter championships next year to avoid clashes with the Rugby World Cup.
The supremacy of rugby in New Zealand was acknowledged by Athletics New Zealand sport manager Brett Addison in a press release.
A revised programme for national winter events will affect the New Zealand cross-country, road championship and road relay next year, he said.
"The revision has come about due to the clash of dates with the 2011 Rugby World Cup from September 9 to October 23," Addison said.
The New Zealand road relay championships, the largest of the three championship events, is traditionally scheduled for the first Saturday in October.
But that weekend sees Rugby World Cup matches scheduled in North Harbour, Auckland, Hamilton, Palmerston North, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin.
"We anticipate that the Rugby World Cup will critically affect air travel, accommodation and vehicle hire, not only on that particular weekend, but during the entire duration of the [Cup]," Addison said.
Athletics New Zealand expects such pressures right through the World Cup, in major centres as well as provincial areas, through the hosting of teams and travel to and from game venues.
The impacts will range from non-availability to inflated costs.
"To lessen the effect on the sport we have made the decision not to schedule any national championship events during the Rugby World Cup," Addison said.
The venues for the three championships remain unchanged but the dates have been changed.
Athletics Otago administrator Margaret Knox said it would also mean changes to the Otago winter programme next year.
Otago runner Rachel Kingsford, who finished third in the women's race at the New Zealand cross-country championships in Wellington at the weekend, will represent New Zealand at the Oceania cross-country championships.
The event is to be held in conjunction with the Australian championships at Bald Hills, Queensland, on August 21.
Alex Parlane (Auckland), the New Zealand men's champion, is the other runner selected.
Taieri club coach Megan Gibbons has been named as coach of the New Zealand team for the Oceania track and field championships in Cairns from September 23 to 25 along with Lance Smith (Southland).
