Army of volunteers oil Cup machinery

Russian student Anastasia Naumova is backing the All Blacks to win. Photo / Greg Bowker

Russian import Anastasia Naumova says she is backing the All Blacks ahead of her homeland at this year's Rugby World Cup.

But ask her to name four New Zealand players and she's struggling.

"Richard Kahui, Dan Carter and Richie McCaw, he's the captain, isn't he?"

The 20-year-old commerce and law student at Auckland University is among 6000 volunteers who will help out at the tournament, now less than seven weeks away.

She is also among a diverse group of RWC volunteers that includes Italians, Romanians, Georgians and Kazakhs who have come to New Zealand to help.

Originally from Khabarovsk, an ice hockey town 30km from the Chinese border, Ms Naumova said she had no idea what rugby was until she arrived here with her parents four years ago.

She found rugby confusing but it quickly won her over when she saw "a bunch of guys smashing into each other".

"Russians are famous for our strong character and guys want to show their power and how strong they are which is probably why we are attracted to it."

Miss Naumova is still to undergo training for her role and to receive her roster as a host greeting people, ensuring visitors get the right information and doing her bit for the smooth running of the tournament.

She feels at home in New Zealand and says it will be "pretty embarrassing" if the All Blacks don't win the Cup.

"This is my country now and this is one of the ways to be involved."

The volunteer programme manager for Rugby New Zealand 2011, BrendonWard, said the volunteers receive little apart from the "intrinsic benefit" of being associated with the tournament. Those expecting freebies are out of luck.


The programme, which is now closed, was open to anyone over the age of 17 with students through to retirees making up the mix. More than half of all volunteers are women and most are aged between 30 and 50.

They have filled roles for spectator services at venues, media assistants, accreditation staff, transport, tourist information, and fan zone organisers.

Others are assigned to ensure people get on and off buses and trains properly, give a warm welcome to visiting teams and tourists at airports and locals who will ensure the tackle bags, cones and balls are out at training venues.

Mr Ward said without these people, many of whom will work an average six to eight hours on match days, the tournament would flop.

"To be brutally honest we wouldn't be able to run this tournament without a hugely motivated volunteer workforce.

"It's a huge range of roles, some of which start as early as mid-August and most going through until the matches end in each region and some beyond that as well."

Mr Ward said several volunteers have experience at other big events, including the Sydney Olympics in 2000, bus drivers from the Auckland Commonwealth Games in 1990 and even volunteers from the Commonwealth Games held in Christchurch in 1974.