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 Venue 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, cultural performers pose for photos and 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 and the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
So far, the Ball has appeared in Paris, France (2007); London,
England (2008); and Tokyo, Japan (2009).
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 and 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
- The Ball was designed and constructed by New Zealand's Inside
Out productions, who were also responsible for the three-storey
Louis Vuitton suitcase that toured the world for Louis Vuitton's
150th anniversary celebrations
- 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, while more than 24,000 people passed
through experiencing the audio visual display.
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
More than 7,500 people visited the Ball when it was installed
alongside London's iconic Tower Bridge in November 2008. Timed to
coincide with the All Blacks tour, the Ball hosted the Queen,
Prince Phillip, Mayor of London Boris Johnson and the newly-elected
Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism John Key.
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 appearing across 16 Japanese television channels and
in 25 newspapers, with total audience numbers of more than 82
million.
Millions more heard or read about the Ball on radio and online
causing a spike 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.
Where to next?
The Ball will appear in other key centres in the run-up to the
2011 Rugby World Cup. We'll keep you updated as plans are
confirmed.
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