Football: Pitch for helpers as Cup fever hits

Tracie Simpson from the Fifa U-20 World Cup marketing and communications team interviews referee Peter O'Leary at the Kamo Football Club. Photo/Michael Cunningham

The governing body of world football has invited Northlanders to sign up for the third largest sporting event on the planet and rub shoulders with the world's best under-20 players.

Online registrations are open for volunteers to help out during the four games of the Fifa U-20 World Cup to be held at Toll Stadium next year.

Recruitment would start in April for the tournament to be held from May 30 to June 20 next year.

A high-powered Fifa delegation led by its chief medical officer Jiri Dvorak and senior competitions manager Rhiannon Martin accompanied Dave Beeche, chief executive of the Fifa U-20 World Cup New Zealand 2015, and Whangarei mayor Sheryl Mai on an inspection of Toll Stadium and various training venues around the district yesterday .

The delegation also announced the nationwide U-20 World Cup trophy tour would start in Waitangi on May 5 this year before touring Kaitaia, Kaikohe, Kerikeri and Whangarei where it would spend a day before heading south.

Between 300 and 500 volunteers are needed in Whangarei and organisers hope to approach schools, community groups and the public to help out.

Mr Beeche said people could register online at www.fifa.com/nz2015 and become a fan.

Ticket sales, he said, would start at the end of May.

After giving a thumps-up to Toll Stadium in its preparation to host the four matches, the delegation then moved to Springs Flat, Kamo, William Fraser Park and Kensington that will be used as training grounds during the tournament.

Mr Beeche said given the level of enthusiasm and passion for the tournament in Whangarei, football fans were being urged to buy tickets early as organisers wanted everyone to get a chance to see the world's best young players in action.

Ms Martin said the delegation had been hugely impressed with Whangarei.

"The passion and support for this tournament is so evident everywhere you go and on that basis we feel very confident that Whangarei will deliver a great tournament for Fifa in 2015."

The mayor welcomed the delegation and said Whangarei had proved it was capable of hosting such a high-profile tournament.

"The momentum is building and the enthusiasm is coming and everyone's just thrilled to be a part of such an event."

Qualifying teams have been named but the draw won't be known until next January.

The four games in Whangarei are expected to bring in more than $3.5 million to the district's economy and expose it to thousands of visitors and tens of millions of television viewers.