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Partners
Auckland - New Zealand is ready to party and enjoy hosting the Rugby World Cup after a difficult year in which earthquakes and a mining disaster rocked the country, the tournament's organising head Martin Snedden said on Wednesday.
The country was left devastated after a February earthquake in New Zealand's second largest city of Christchurch killed 181 people and destroyed much of the city.
That followed the death of 29 miners after a methane gas explosion at the Pike River mine in November as the country, like many others, struggled with the impact of the global financial crisis.
"It's been a pretty tough 12 months or so in New Zealand with what's happened in Christchurch, with what's happened in Pike River with the mining disasters, the economic situation," Snedden told reporters at Eden Park on Wednesday.
"I think the country is ready to have fun. I think it is ready to have a party.
"I think we are ready to really welcome and embrace the thousands and thousands of international visitors that are coming and to make sure we, with them, do have a fantastic time and enjoy the rugby."
Snedden, who sat in front of the Webb Ellis Trophy which will be awarded to the winners of the near two-month tournament starting on Friday, was joined by International Rugby Board chairman Bernard Lapasset.
"Six years in the making and now just two days to go. I'm confident that it will be an exceptional and successful tournament," Lapasset told reporters.
"Everything is ready, almost, but this is a fantastic atmosphere in Auckland and everywhere in New Zealand."
The February earthquake forced organisers to move seven matches from Christchurch which is still struggling to recover.
Snedden thanked Lapasset as he launched an IRB-backed appeal on Wednesday, fronted by All Blacks captain Richie McCaw, to raise funds to rebuild rugby in the area.
"The people of Christchurch will be in our hearts and our minds on many occasions during the tournament and one of my greatest hopes is that they feel that, as the tournament goes on, they are part of what's happening and they are able to enjoy it," said Snedden.
England were the first team to travel to Christchurch to see the damage for themselves. They toured schools on Wednesday and manager Martin Johnson conducted coaching sessions after the team received a traditional Maori welcome.
Snedden, who toured Australia last month to spruik the World Cup, also said organisers were still short NZ$22 million ($18 million) of their ticket sales target but he was adamant the benchmark would be met during the tournament.
"We have a target of NZ$268 million dollars to hit our ticket forecast. Today we sit at NZ$246 million, 10 times bigger that any previous event held in the history of New Zealand," he added.
"We have 45 days of selling to do that NZ$22 million. In the last 100 days we have done NZ$77 million.
"We are going to hit this target. The intensity of ticket buying that's happening in the last few days is just snowballing."
