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Wellington - The head of New Zealand's central bank put economic forecasting aside for a moment on Friday to make another kind of prediction: a Rugby World Cup victory for the All Blacks.
"How likely is it that New Zealand will win? We have asked our expert team of forecasters to answer this question," Reserve Bank governor Alan Bollard quipped during an address to the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce in Christchurch.
"Our expert team of forecasters predict that on average, the All Blacks will beat Australia in the final at Eden Park, by 23.9 to 15.6," he said.
On a more serious matter, Bollard also said that having the World Cup in New Zealand was one of a number of factors complicating economic forecasting for the country.
He said the World Cup, which begins on September 9 and will last for six weeks, is expected to inject NZ$700 million, or about a third of a percent of GDP, into New Zealand's economy and an All Blacks win could have a positive effect on business and national confidence.
