Dunedin's approach to hosting tests has become the blueprint for other venues around the country, a meeting in the city heard yesterday.
The Rugby World Cup 2011 southern region stakeholders group was updating progress on a campaign aimed at taking fullest advantage of the five World Cup games to be held in the South.
Dunedin hosts three games and Invercargill two in September-October 2011.
It will be decided next year whether the Dunedin games will be played at Carisbrook or the Forsyth Barr stadium.
The stakeholders group plans to run a campaign based on a "Spin It Wide" theme, encompassing all parts of the region from the Waitaki River south.
Stuart Heal, who led the southern lobby group to secure the five games, said the idea was to encourage people to visit all areas of the region.
That would require a co-ordinated approach from within the region, no events clashing and good-quality service by providers.
His view was backed up by Otago Rugby Football Union chief executive Richard Reid.
Reid said he could not stress enough the importance of the collaborative approach in Dunedin for the past two tests.
Carisbrook was sold out for both those matches.
"This is a very, very big deal going forward.
"If we don't do it together then we are absolutely dead in the water," Reid said.
"The success of the last two games at Carisbrook has led to the guidelines by the NZRU [New Zealand Rugby Union] where they want to see the south-of-the-Waitaki approach used right across the country.
They are saying. `if we don't see that blueprint and you don't sell out, then it will cost you'."
Heal said with England playing two games in Christchurch and one in Dunedin, supporters could be in the South Island for up to three weeks, and they would want to get out and see the country.
Heal said the co-ordinated approach by the southern region was unique in the country and had been applauded by World Cup organisers.
Officials from the Scotland and Ireland rugby unions were due to visit Dunedin this week to look at training facilities.
If the new stadium is used for matches, Carisbrook will be a training venue.
Other training venues in Dunedin are the University Oval and possibly Kings High School.
Festivals planned around the time of the World Cup include the Blossom Festival in Alexandra, the Rhododendron Festival in Dunedin, a sesquicentennial celebration in Southland and a golden oldies rugby festival in Oamaru.
Oamaru had considered moving its heritage festival forward but doubted whether it would be attractive to rugby fans, so decided to plan a golden oldies rugby festival and has already received good feedback.
Waitaki Development Board manager Glenn Ormsby was hoping for upwards of 50 teams at the tournament.
A stadium update at the meeting reported the project as being on schedule, and the southern end was on track to be up to level five by the end of the year.
Structural lifting for the roof would start in February next year.
The Dunedin City Council had hoped to bring the huge promotional rugby ball used by Tourism New Zealand in Paris during the 2007 World Cup to Dunedin, but it cost $750,000 to erect and the council could not afford it.
