Team Managers gather for Tournament overview

Team managers from the twenty participating nations were greeted with a powhiri [Maori welcome] as they gathered at New Zealand House in London this week to for a detailed overview of preparations for next year’s Tournament.

While the city was in the grip of a heavy snowfall, inside, the managers got down to work amidst backdrops of New Zealand’s scenic beauty to remind them of how different their surroundings will be in just over nine months time.

Managers included representatives of the newly qualified Romanian team which clinched the final berth at Rugby World Cup 2011 (RWC 2011) after defeating Uruguay on the weekend in Bucharest.

They were welcomed by International Rugby Board (IRB) CEO Mike Miller, Rugby New Zealand 2011 (RNZ 2011) CEO Martin Snedden, and Rugby World Cup Tournament Director Kit McConnell.

“It was a really valuable day and a half,” said McConnell. “We had a great mix of veterans who have been team managers for nearly a decade now or in some cases up to 15 years, along with some who were new to the job and in fact aren’t even starting until the New Year. So it was a real mix of personalities and experience.”

Managers were taken through various aspects of the Tournament preparations including security, medical, anti-doping, match officials and communications.

“We were able to provide an in-depth look inside our preparations and give them the sort of reassurance they need now that we are well under 300 days to kick-off,” said Nigel Cass, General Manager Tournament Services for RNZ 2011.

“The general view is that our plans are well developed and the services they are going to get at the Tournament will be first rate.”

“We are into a lot of detail now in terms of the planning,” said McConnell. “All of the logistics around the team’s participation are locked away, obviously everything from match schedules to team hotels to flights, so we know exactly who is going to be where when and what they are doing. We are really just locking in the smaller details now so this meeting was a valuable exercise in building confidence in the Tournament.”

At the conclusion of the meeting, coin tosses were held for each of the 40 pool matches to determine choice of changing room, playing kit, time of Captain’s run and the match day coin toss. Managers used the commemorative Webb Ellis silver New Zealand one dollar coin.