The giant inflatable Rugby Ball is a unique venue that has
already gained huge exposure for New Zealand as the host of Rugby
World Cup 2011. Since 2007, the Ball has appeared in Paris, London
and Tokyo, exposing New Zealand to an estimated media audience of
300 million people around the world.
New Zealand's Giant Rugby Ball is a New Zealand Government
project led by Tourism New Zealand designed to maximise the
benefits to New Zealand of hosting the Rugby World Cup in 2011.
Appearing in some of our key visitor markets, it is part of Tourism
New Zealand's strategy to raise awareness of New Zealand as the
event's host country and encourage visitors here in 2011.
By day, the Ball is open to the public, giving visitors a
stunning audio-visual experience of New Zealand, our heritage,
landscapes, culture and tourism offerings. As queues of visitors
line up outside, New Zealand entertainers and cultural performers
entertain waiting crowds with Māori songs and dance.
By night, the venue becomes a hub for New Zealand-hosted trade
and industry events, showcasing the best of New Zealand food, wine
and hospitality.
While managed by Tourism New Zealand, the Rugby Ball Venue is a
joint project with New Zealand Trade & Enterprise, the Ministry
of Foreign Affairs, and Trade and the New Zealand 2011 Office.
So far, the Ball has appeared in Paris, France (2007); London,
England (2008); and Tokyo, Japan (2009).
Sydney - September 2010
Download image of the
Ball in Sydney
The Giant Rugby Ball will make its fourth and final
international appearance at Sydney's Circular Quay between 2 and 12
September. The Ball will be placed alongside the Overseas Passenger
Terminal, with views of the iconic Sydney Opera House.
This appearance in Australia - New Zealand's largest tourism
market - is timed for the beginning of the one year to go countdown
to Rugby World Cup on 9 September, and the Bledisloe Cup match to
be played in Sydney on 11 September.
- The Ball will be open to the public from 3 September to 12
September 2010. It will be officially opened on 2 September
- Entertainment and cultural activities outside the Ball during
the day will be managed by New Zealand 2011
- Tours will be run every half hour from 11.00am each day the
Ball is open. It is free to the public
- In the evenings, the Ball will provide a unique setting for a
number of planned corporate and sector showcase events
- Up to 18,000 people are expected to visit the interior of the
Rugby Ball venue while it is in Sydney. The daily shows will
promote New Zealand as a place to live, work and do business
Read more about the Giant
Rugby Ball's visit to Sydney
The facts
- The Ball itself is a temporary inflatable venue that measures
25 metres long, 17 metres wide (at its widest point) and 13 metres
high. It can hold up to 220 people
- A key feature of the Ball is a 10-minute audiovisual show that
transforms the interior of the Ball into a variety of New Zealand
environments from the depths of the ocean, beaches, volcanoes and
bush walks, to the sidelines rugby games
- The venue takes five days to construct
- The air system works by two air pumps expelling 8,000 litres
per second. A revolving door allows the movement of people in and
out of the Ball while maintaining the interior air pressure
- The Ball can house an estimated 600,000 conventional rugby
balls
- 1500 sq metres of PVC blockout fabric is used in the Ball
- The Ball was created by New Zealand's Inside Out Productions,
which was also responsible for the three-storey Louis Vuitton
suitcase that toured the world for Louis Vuitton's 150th
anniversary celebrations
- It was designed and built by New Zealand's Fabric Structure
Systems, global specialists in inflatable and temporary
structures
- In October 2008 the Ball was awarded a Gold Award in the Design
Institute of New Zealand's BeST Design Awards
Highlights so far
The Eiffel Tower, Paris, France - October 2007
New Zealand 's innovation and creativity were on display during
the final stages of the Rugby World Cup 2007 when the giant Rugby
Ball was installed in front of the Eiffel Tower in central Paris.
During the 15 days the Ball was open, an estimated world-wide
audience of 137 million readers, listeners and viewers were exposed
to media coverage of the Ball; 24,000 people passed through the
interior of the Ball.
The audiovisual experience really transports you to the
heart of New Zealand and in 10 minutes I had discovered a country
that I could never before have imagined."
Julia Fouquet, L'Equipe
Potters Field, London, UK - November 2008
Timed to coincide with the All Blacks tour in the UK in November
2008, the Ball hosted the Queen, Prince Phillip, Mayor of London
Boris Johnson and New Zealand's newly-elected Prime Minister and
Minister of Tourism John Key. 7,500 people visited the Ball while
it was installed alongside London's iconic Tower Bridge.
The Ball was the venue for numerous events including the
International Rugby Board's Rugby World Cup 2011 pool draw. Media
coverage reached an estimated 200 million people around the
world.
The Tokyo Tower, Tokyo, Japan, October 2009
An average of 2,000 people per day visited the Ball while it was
in downtown Tokyo, with crowds queuing around the block on each of
the six days. It also created a sensation in the Japanese media
with coverage on television, radio, in print and online reaching
millions of people.
The event caused an increase in visitor numbers to Tourism New
Zealand's Japanese website. Visits went from an average of 1,500
visits per day to a peak of almost 8,000 visits on Sunday 1
November, the day following the Bledisloe Cup match played in
Tokyo.
