Rugby New Zealand 2011 general manager tournament services Nigel Cass, and manager special projects and environmental sustainability Andrew Steele, along with Rugby World Cup Ltd general manager Ross Young journeyed to the South for just one day to view venues and meet the team behind the Southern bid to secure games.
The trio visited three venues in Dunedin yesterday on a flying visit: Carisbrook, the University Oval and Kings High School.
The group did not look at the proposed Awatea St stadium.
Cass said the visit was the first of any city or district as those involved in running the cup grew more familiar with proposed venues.
Carisbrook would host games while the University Oval and Kings High School were possible training venues.
Cass said he was impressed with the venues and was also very encouraged by the united approach brought by the Southern region.
Councils and Southern tourism organisations along with rugby unions had banded together to try and bring six games to the South, with the hope the All Blacks would play a pool game in Dunedin.
Cass said from RNZ 2011's point of view it was very encouraging to see a single proposal from the South.
"Many other regions have decided to go their own way, and though that was not the wrong thing to do, a united approach is a good way for us to deal with regions," Cass said.
He was impressed with the Dunedin venues, but had a lot more to look out over the next few weeks.
Facilities at Queenstown had been seen earlier this year but the next month would bring a dedicated trip round most of the venues, with stadiums and training facilities in provincial areas of the North Island to be looked at this week.
RNZ 2011 received 19 submissions from areas right around the country to host games and teams.
"Every venue has aspirations and we wouldn't want it any other way."
The next step for the Rugby World Cup was the draw in London on December 1 which would allocate the top 12 teams into pools.
In March, venues and team bases would be announced.
He said money was a focus but so was playing the tournament in all parts of New Zealand, and allowing it to be enjoyed by all New Zealanders.
Southern region bid leader Ian Farrant said the tournament was far bigger than anything ever seen in New Zealand and organisers appreciated just working with the one group in the lower South Island.
The new stadium was not discussed as the group only wanted to deal with certainties, so the Dunedin bid was based on games being played at Carisbrook.
Having the stadium built on time would be a bonus, and the group had produced an appendix including the new stadium.
Farrant said he did not have a view on whether the stadium would be built by 2011, but the group simply had to deal with certainties.
