New Zealand will celebrate its role as host of one of the world’s greatest sports events by staging a nationwide festival which showcases real New Zealand to the world.

The name of the festival – REAL New Zealand Festival – was unveiled at an event in Auckland on September 9, marking the milestone of ‘One Year To Go’ until the kick off of Rugby World Cup 2011 (RWC 2011). The festival will run from 9 September – 23 October, and will complement the match and team hosting schedule for RWC 2011. But it will go well beyond the 23 centres hosting teams and games, and will include every part of the country.

The launch of the festival name coincides with the start of the second phase of ticket sales for the Tournament, with applications for individual tickets opening on 10 September.

Prime Minister John Key was at Eden Park to unveil the festival name and said the festival will ensure the Tournament touches every New Zealander in every part of the country.

“This festival is for more than just locals and visiting rugby fans – it’s for everyone in our ‘Stadium of Four Million’,” he said.

“The REAL New Zealand Festival will include hundreds of events and experiences all over the country which showcase New Zealand’s arts, food and wine, heritage, culture, entertainment, industries and business, experiences and lifestyle.”

Festival Director Briony Ellis says the name ‘REAL’ was chosen because real New Zealand will be on show.

“The programme for the festival celebrates the aspects of living in New Zealand that Kiwis are most proud of – authentic experiences and events that showcase our people, landscapes, culture and stories,” she said.

“There’ll be plenty of time between games so we want to encourage people to take the long way round from one match to the next and really see the country and meet the people.”

Briony Ellis says every region of New Zealand is committed to making the most of this opportunity to showcase the country, its people and its stories to the world.

“Rugby fans have the chance to add a rich layer to their Rugby World Cup 2011 experience, with festival events to suit every kind of visitor,” she said.

Briony Ellis is part of the Government’s New Zealand 2011 Office, which is coordinating the nationwide festival, and is also developing REAL New Zealand Showcase – a programme to assist New Zealand businesses and industries to showcase themselves to the world during 2011.

John Key says industries from food and wine to renewable energy, film, fashion and marine manufacturing are being encouraged to show their innovation, creativity, expertise and excellence.

He says a couple of good examples of industries rising to the challenge are the wine industry, which is creating special wine festivals and VIP dinners to fit in with the Tournament schedule, and the marine industry, which has moved the Auckland International Boat Show from its usual March dates into the RWC window.

“These events will enrich the experience of our visitors as part of the REAL New Zealand Festival, and at the same time give us the chance to show off the things our industries and businesses do well.”

John Key says preparations are well on track to stage a Tournament all New Zealanders can be proud of. He says a lot of progress has been made in the past year in stadia upgrades, Tournament logistics, ticket sales and the recruitment of volunteers. He says now is the time for New Zealanders to step up and really get involved.

“There are a lot of ways to do that. You can buy tickets and go to games, you can be a volunteer and you can help your community get ready to welcome a team and its supporters”.

“If you’re a business you can get ready, both to cope with the demand in September and October and use the opportunity to showcase yourself to the world. You can also join the NZ 2011 Business Club so you can make valuable international business connections.

“You can organise an event for the REAL New Zealand Festival – and the Government recently announced a $9.48 million Lotteries fund to help with that – or you can plan to travel next year and enjoy the festival.”