Simply red wows cup boss | Northland News | Local News in Northland

Rugby World Cup boss Martin Snedden is still singing the praises of Northland's Paint It Red campaign, five weeks after the tournament ended.

Mr Snedden was in Whangarei yesterday to thank the team that organised the campaign and oversaw Northland's RWC hosting responsibilities.

Northland hosted three teams during the tournament, Japan, Tonga and Canada, and two sold-out games were played at the Northland Events Centre.

The region's response to the cup was "magnificent" and unique, Mr Snedden said.

"The stadium looked brilliant and obviously the two games here, they really shone for all sorts of reasons, including the magnificence of the facility but actually more than that, the way in which the people brought it to life inside the stadium."

Northland rugby fans filled the 17,000-seat stadium twice during the tournament, creating a sea of red by supporting all three teams. Mr Snedden said RWC organisers had not thought about the colour of the three teams when allocating them to Northland.

"It was completely random. It was people in this region that found the common denominator and kept it really simple," he said.

"I think it was one of those things that was so effective because of its simplicity and people bought into it. The way in which your guys developed the programme enabled the whole region to participate if that's what they wanted to do, and to be honest, most of them accepted the invitation."

Mr Snedden said the teams hosted in Northland were "blown away by the support they got and by the atmosphere that was created in the stadium during the games".

Northland 2011 project coordinator Stewart McElwain said the success of the Paint It Red campaign had made Northlanders proud of their region.

"The RWC gave the region the opportunity to work together collectively and I think we actually showed New Zealand what a great place Northland is," Mr McElwain said.

"Coming to that first game here, you couldn't not have a shiver up your spine when you saw the sea of red and I think we always knew we had it in us."

A report by the Northland Regional Council Community Trust says the Paint It Red campaign has been identified by RWC tournament organisers as an example of how to support the tournament and adopt a second team.

National and international media have also praised the campaign, the report says.