French invasion heading for Queenstown

On 14 July 1789 the people of Paris stormed the Bastille and now, 221 years later, the French are coming to do battle in Queenstown.

But New Zealand’s premier lake and alpine resort town stands ready and, come September, will mount a formidable defense to defend the nation’s honour.

The date (18.09.2011), time (3pm) and battleground (Queenstown Recreation Ground) have been agreed, as have the weapons of choice - the French Classics and Classic All Blacks rugby teams.

The wily French know that their rugby teams have often proved to be New Zealand’s nemesis and will play on this psychological advantage.

The All Blacks’ defeat at the hands of the French in the 1999 Rugby World Cup semi-final is still painfully etched in the memory banks of many Kiwi fans.

"Will we hold it against them? Of course we won’t!" said match co-organiser Graham Budd of Destination Queenstown.

First players revealed
The French are still keeping some of their team under wraps, but among them is centre Franck Comba who notched up 13 caps for France between 1998, and 2001 and hooker Marc de Rougemont (known as Le Rouge or ‘The Red’) who also had 13 caps for France.

Lock David Auradou, another face well known to the All Blacks, looks set to be another formidable opponent on the day.

New Zealand, however, will leave nothing to chance when it comes to defending its national pride.

Not only will the Classic All Blacks have home ground advantage, they’re also bringing in the big guns with the likes of Christian Cullen, Jeff ‘Goldie’ Wilson, Andrew Mehrtens, Justin Marshall, Tony Brown, Charlie Hore, Reuben Thorne, Dion Muir, Kees Meeuws, Scott Robertson and Queenstown’s own Kelvin Middleton taking the field.

Epic rugby battle
The epic rugby battle between the Classic All Blacks and French Classics, presented by Steinlager, is expected to attract locals and travelling RWC 2011 fans from all nations.

The match will be staged on 18 September at the Queenstown Recreation Ground, right in the heart of town. Limited general admission and seated area tickets went on sale last Friday (8.07.2011) and demand has already been strong.

The Recreation Ground has a capacity of 7000, and general admission tickets will be sold at the gate on game day. Children aged 16 and under can attend the game for free.

"It’s going to be a great day out for locals and visitors alike and it’s a perfect way for families to join in the nation’s RWC 2011 celebrations at minimal cost," said Mr Budd.

REAL NZ Festival
The Classics match is one of a number of events happening around Queenstown as part of the nationwide REAL New Zealand Festival.

"This Classics match and other food, wine and cultural events happening during September and October mean there’s never been a better time to come to Queenstown and enjoy everything our vibrant town has to offer," said Mr Budd.

"There’s plenty of food, wine, nightlife, shopping and accommodation to suit everyone."

While in Queenstown, both teams will be hosted by The Rees Hotel, a five-star luxury apartment hotel on the shores of Lake Wakatipu, which is a major supporter of the match.