A force of volunteers who will be both the face of the Dunedin and the backbone of the city's response to the Rugby World Cup received some job training yesterday.
The city has 397 registered volunteers who came from all walks of life, Dunedin City Council marketing and communications agency manager Debra Simes said.
Two "host workforce" training seminars were held at Carisbrook yesterday, one in the afternoon and one in the evening.
The volunteers would be based at the Dunedin International Airport, iSite centres and would provide directions along walking routes to the Forsyth Barr Stadium, and around the city, Ms Simes said.
They heard yesterday from council representatives about public transport, visitor information, recycling, festivals and events.
They would have "a very high presence" during the event, including at the various festivals and events that would occur during the World Cup, including the Port Chalmers Seafood Festival, Celebrate Hidden Dunedin events, and the Middlemarch sevens tournament.
Ms Simes said the volunteers learned what their roles would be, about the World Cup in general, and what they needed to remember on match days.
With training under way, the next step was to begin rostering for the event.
Also at Carisbrook last night, the council and the Otago Chamber of Commerce hosted a "Business after 5" event, where speakers, including deputy mayor Chris Staynes, updated attendees on the city's preparations for the cup.
