New Zealand

Two consortiums of companies, one from Australia and one from New Zealand, have won a competitive tender process to be appointed as the Official Corporate Hospitality Agencts for the Rugby World Cup 2011.

The organisers of the 2011 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand have said their ticket pricing strategy will fill the stadiums at the event, countering earlier concerns that the prices would be too high for locals.

Vodafone, the second largest mobile telecom group in the world, has ended its relationship of New Zealand rugby union side Waikato after six years as the side’s lead sponsor.

The Australian and New Zealand rugby union authorities are aiming to generate more revenues in Asia, particularly Japan, as interest in their home markets has hit a new low.

The organisers of the Super 15 rugby union tournament have sent the decision on where the 15th team will come from to arbitration after the executive committee of South Africa, New Zealand and Australia Rugby (SANZAR), failed to vote on the matter.

SANZAR, the body representing the rugby unions of South Africa, New Zealand and Australia, has announced the appointment of sports marketing agency Essentially to secure a title sponsor for its Super Rugby competition.

New Zealand public service broadcaster TVNZ is being forced to sell its Commonwealth Games rights after predicting it would make a NZ$5 million loss on the rights.

The chief executive of the 2011 Rugby World Cup has said the tournament may face larger than expected losses, which local media have put at up to NZ$40 million.

The New Zealand Rugby Union (NZRU) will not bid for the 15th place in rugby union’s expanded Super 15 competition.

The twelfth men's World Championship of Olympic sport hopeful softball will have delayed television coverage in 60 countries under three new deals.

Nine organisations have submitted expressions of interest in becoming the additional team in the expanded Super 15 rugby competition from 2011.

Mastercard agreed a major new deal to sponsor the Rugby World Cup 2011 in New Zealand, becoming the Official Worldwide Partner and official payment system of Rugby World Cup 2011.

The New Zealand government is is considering an Auckland bid for the 2018 Commonwealth Games, according to local media reports.

Australia and New Zealand rugby chiefs are considering scrapping future European tours in protest against the second-string Test teams that visit their countries.

New Zealand's three biggest cities will host the knock-out stages of the 2011 Rugby World Cup, Reuters reports.

Sportswear manufacturer, Puma, has agreed a three-year sponsorship deal with New Zealand based rugby league club, the Vodafone Warriors.

The International Association of Athletic Federations (IAAF) has extended its television rights deal for the IAAF World Athletic Series for three-years from 2010 to 2013 with existing pay-television broadcasters Globosat and Sky Network, which cover Brazil and New Zealand respectively.

The Super 14 playoffs could increase to six teams from next season after the Sanzar unions agreed to revise the format in order potentially expand the competition.