The national sevens competition will be played in Queenstown this weekend, the eighth to be played in the resort since 2004.
The Bay of Plenty Times reported earlier this week the Bay of Plenty union was keen to host the championships at Blake Park in Mt Maunganui.
A crowd of 5000 attended a tournament last weekend in the North Island holiday town and organisers said the five-year-old tournament showed the Bay of Plenty union had the capability and the facilities to host a national tournament.
Organisers said most teams attending the national tournament were from the North Island and host broadcaster Sky Television was keen to have the tournament nearer Auckland.
Queenstown took on the tournament after it had gone into hibernation and made it a success, with crowds of 5000 or more on both days.
The organisation is run by a group of volunteers, and Sevens with Attitude chairman Clark Frew said the tournament was a success because Queenstown was a place where the players wanted to come.
After this year, Sevens with Attitude had a right of renewal with the New Zealand Rugby Union to host the tournament for another two years, which, if everything went to plan, would mean the resort would have hosted the competition for 10 years.
Though he could not put a exact figure on how much it cost to run the tournament, it was well over $250,000.
He said it could not run without the assistance of major sponsor Pub Charity and other sponsors.
The 16 unions competing paid an entrance fee but organisers paid the air fares and accommodation for all 16 teams.
A crew of more than 50 volunteers helped out at the event.
There had been the suggestion the tournament alternate between the North and South islands but Frew said the Queenstown group was just concentrating on getting the right of renewal for another two years.
He said a couple of members of the Queenstown group were in Mt Maunganui last weekend to help out with the tournament.
Frew said the national tournament was about the players, and what they got out of the event.
"The teams enjoy coming down here and, when it was first started, it was always centred around being a players' tournament, and it has remained that. They enjoy coming here year after year. Players go back home, tell others how great it is, and that gets guys training hard for the next tournament.
"If the rugby was not of a high quality on the pitch, then the punters would not come along."
He said Queenstown had rescued the tournament after the national event in Palmerston North withered away in 2002.
"It sort of fell into the too-hard basket and, financially, it become a burden on the national union. We've picked it up and brought it back successfully."
