Organisers of the 2014 National Rugby Sevens tournament are urging the Rotorua community to get behind the family-friendly sevens festival.
The tournament, being held at the Rotorua International Stadium on January 11-12, was officially launched at a star-studded function in Rotorua on Wednesday night.
National men's sevens coach Sir Gordon Tietjens and New Zealand women's coach Sean Horan spoke at the event, which was also attended by members of the New Zealand men's and Bay of Plenty women's sevens sides. During the night, Bayleys was revealed as the tournament's naming sponsor and the Rotorua Daily Post will be a media partner.
Bay of Plenty Rugby Union chief executive Mike Rogers said preparations were going well, with a lot of work being done around the logistics of hosting 26 teams in the city - such as accommodation, mini-vans, flights and event volunteers.
Mr Rogers said tickets should go on sale in about two weeks. There would be special ticket deals for Rotorua residents, he said.