Soccer: Chance to snap shot with World Cup

The Fifa U20 World Cup trophy that will pass through Waipukurau and Napier.

Hawke's Bay missed out on hosting 2015 Fifa Under-20 World Cup soccer matches but youngsters have a chance to have photos taken with the silverware next week.

The trophy will be on display at Russell Park, Waipukurau, from 3pm to 5.30pm on Monday and from 10am to 1pm the following day at Park Island, Napier.

"If it gets wet at Russell Park then we'll move to the clubrooms or the hall next door," says Kim Treweek, outgoing events and marketing manager of Central Football, in Napier.

"The only disappointing thing is the games aren't going to be played in Hawke's Bay," says Treweek, who officially finishes his job tomorrow to head to Palmerston North to become group track manager for Race Incorporated.

The job of the former racing manager at Hawke's Bay Racing will entail overseeing the Manawatu, Otaki and Trentham racecourses.

Matt Hastings will take over Treweek's soccer position, which includes similar responsibilities with the Kinetic Electrical Hawke's Bay United in the ASB Premiership national league in summer.

"It [racing job] was an opportunity I couldn't turn down," Treweek says.

Every Bay school has been informed about the soccer trophy.

"It's not just the trophy but all the other activities they can do when they get to the park," he says after attending the visits in Wanganui and Manawatu last week.

"At Park Island it'll be during school time so it'll be a little difficult but we're trying to organise one or two buses to get them there whereas it's after school at Waipuk."

The men's tourney, from May 30 to June 20 next year, will be the largest soccer event staged in the country.

It'll involve 24 countries with 52 matches staged in seven host cities - Auckland, Christchurch, Dunedin, Hamilton, New Plymouth, Wellington, and Whangarei luring more than 500,000 fans through the turnstiles.

The age-group cup has been awarded every two years since the inaugural one in Tunisia in 1977. Nine nations have lifted the trophy in 19 tournaments. Argentina lead that race with six titles, Brazil have five and Portugal two.

The trophy was delivered to Waitangi at dawn on Monday, May 5, with Oceania's Footballer of the Century, Wynton Rufer, receiving it.

Treweek says while the closest games are Wellington, Hamilton and Taranaki tickets have been on sale at 20-30 per cent discount for three weeks from Monday.