In one fell swoop, the Manawatu rugby team and Arena Manawatu were rebranded last night -- the team as Green Power and Arena Manawatu as The Greenhouse.
The rebranding was presented to Palmerston North city councillors, businesspeople and sports leaders at a function as partb of Manawatu's bid for a placein the revamped national rugby premier 12 competition.
The bid links the province's colours -- green and white -- with the region's new image as this country's wind turbine-based green energy centre.
Manawatu Rugby Union chairman Tony Murphy threw the weight of his organisation behind Green Power and the bid.
Arena Manawatu board chairman Bernard Forde and finance chief Peter Askey are also behind the new Greenhouse image.
Last night's event was accompanied by a virtual, on-screen walk-through of the new Arena 1 (Greenhouse) facilities for spectators, players, administration, support and the media.
Manawatu Mayor Ian McKelvie offered the support of regional business for something he said would be a drawcard for commerce.
To cap the presentation, Palmerston North Mayor Mark Bell-Booth took his council off for a 15-minute confidential meeting, and emerged to pronounce the council "enthralled".
One of the keys to the success of the premier 12 bid is a sound financial basis.
An annual budget of $1.5 million to run the team has been discussed, and that will need financial and community support.
Bell-Booth said the presentation raised "a lot of questions, and some confidential figures" to be worked through at a special meeting of the council next Monday.
