A SPECIAL AUDIENCE WITH MARTIN SNEDDEN-PART TWO

When the thundering haka showdown between New Zealand and Tonga launches the start of Rugby World Cup 2011, Martin Snedden’s job will be complete – almost.

If the chief executive of Rugby World Cup 2011 allows himself a contented little smile at the sight of the All Blacks and Tonga in full war paint and eye bulging intensity then no-one could blame him.

It will be the culmination of a life’s work crammed into five years, of countless meetings, millions of handshakes and a billion phone calls to get the third largest sporting event on the planet off the ground.

With expectations of the most Rugby-obsessed public in the world on his shoulders and the influx of thousands of fans, it's easy to appreciate the scale of the job Snedden has faced since taking the position in 2006.

But as time ticks down to the most eagerly anticipated Rugby World Cup ever, the former New Zealand Test cricketer can almost reach and touch that opening match of the Tournament.

“I can’t wait for that opening match and that stand-off between the All Blacks and Tonga. The All Blacks will start the haka and then of course the Tongan haka comes in and simultaneously they’re be going at each other – it will be a fantastic start,” he said.

“When I think about the final, I often dream what it might be like and being a Kiwi I’m thinking that Richie McCaw is holding up that cup - but regardless of that it will hopefully be a feeling of overwhelming satisfaction of a job well done.

“The judge of that will be all those people who are there and what are they saying about the competition. If they’re saying ‘hell this has been a great six weeks, the Rugby’s been great, the New Zealand welcome has been great and the people have been great’, then that’s all I want to hear.”

England fans can expect to be at the forefront of those experience thanks to our great range of Rugby World Cup holiday packages that will not only get them to all of England’s games but also to the heart of a wonderful country.

“Originally when we won the hosting rights, we were projecting visitor numbers of between 60 to 70 thousand,” Snedden said. “That was based on the Sydney Olympics and on Rugby World Cup 2003. When we did our analysis at Christmas the numbers were looking like 85 thousand so we were pretty delighted about that.

“Ticket sales have been great, onshore and offshore so all in all, it’s looking good.”

The challenge facing Snedden now is to accommodate every incoming fan but also transmit the feeling in New Zealand that Rugby World Cup 2011 is the biggest event the country has ever undertaken. The involvement will be all encompassing, the atmosphere Snedden and his Tournament committee are aiming to create will be festival-like and will not only celebrate Rugby in all its forms but open up New Zealand for discovery.

“The message I’ve been giving internationally is don’t get too hung up about the accommodation side of things. If you can get it, that’s good, if you can’t, just come along and the Kiwis will look after you,” he said.

“It’s a Rugby World Cup for the whole of New Zealand and everyone’s going to be part of it. That’s what we’ve tried to get an understanding of in New Zealand - this is a Rugby event but it’s also the biggest event New Zealand has ever held and we really need the whole population, not just the Rugby supporters, to be helping us with the delivery of it.

“Those people who may not be interested in Rugby still have a vital role to play in terms of the hosting atmosphere they create in each of the regions and the work they put into the festival that will happen around the whole Rugby Tournament.

“It’s a challenge but an opportunity to create that unique environment and atmosphere in a country that can totally focus on Rugby World Cup for 45 days – it’s an opportunity we just have to take.”