It's vital we back the Cup and local Tauranga fest

There is now less than a week to go before the Rugby World Cup kicks off and I am beginning to sense some signs of excitement around town.

As you will have read today, thousands turned out in Te Puke yesterday to welcome All Blacks stars Dan Carter, Richard Kahui and Isaia Toeava. They quite rightly received a heroes' welcome as they spent a few hours in the heartland with the people who matter most - the fans.

Luckily, Te Puke was one of the towns to have All Blacks visit as part of the "All Blacks Coming to a Town Near You" campaign. The idea of bringing our biggest sports stars to people in small towns close to the big event is genius. I can only imagine the excitement young fans felt.

Fans and smiles aside, the pressure will ramp up on our national team as they begin their final build-up to what will be one of the most important events in New Zealand sporting history.

Of course, all true Kiwis hope they will win, and despite last weekend's stumble against arch-rivals Australia, I'm sure many of you are like me and have your fingers crossed they lift the trophy.

This is a huge event for the country, and all cities and towns taking part.

I believe Tauranga should have been selected to host some games instead of Rotorua. Baypark and its new arena would have made a great venue.

So, now it is up to us to make our host teams - Russia, Samoa and Fiji - welcome.

The Russians deserve a special mention for allowing people to watch them train at Baypark Stadium on Friday, September 23. Wouldn't it be great if there was a super turnout? The other two teams have elected to train in private and we should respect this.

There are always people who are negative and unfortunately the World Cup is no exception. I have heard comments about it being a boring non-event. Rugby might not be everyone's favourite pastime but this is a big deal.

It is natural with such a long build-up there would be some fatigue from time to time. And while the adidas and no-sex debacles have been unfortunate, most people will have long forgotten about them when the first whistle is blown.

The Cup is also a big deal in financial terms. It could attract up to 95,000 overseas visitors and international visitors are forecast to spend $700 million.

In the Bay, we're set to celebrate with a six-week festival showcasing the region's characteristics and cultural identity.

The REAL Tauranga Festival will be held in downtown Tauranga from this coming Friday to October 23 and feature events, performances, music, culture, food, sport, children's activities, community engagement activities, charity events, fashion, art and more.

This will mean people spending money with local businesses.

Visitors will be coming into Tauranga off cruise ships. It is vital that we support the REAL Tauranga Festival and show some friendliness to all visitors.

Surely, we want them to leave thinking what a fantastic place the Western Bay is. Let's think positively and support the Cup, support the teams we're hosting and support the local festival.

We may only have a small part to play but events like this don't come along often.