Fifa World Cup" Trophy Tour By Coca-Cola Arrives In New Zealand

In a New Zealand first, the FIFA World Cup™ Trophy, on tour thanks to Coca-Cola, will be arriving shortly after 8:00am this morning to be showcased at an official welcoming ceremony at Sky City Convention Centre in Auckland.

Some of New Zealand’s football elite will be waiting to greet the coveted solid gold Trophy when it flies in on the FIFA World Cup™ Trophy Tour by Coca-Cola for the one day stopover in New Zealand.

Past and present All Whites including Centre Back, Ben Sigmund, Central Midfielder, Tim Brown and Defender, Ivan Vicelich will be gathered at the Sky City Convention Centre to celebrate the New Zealand leg of the tour.

Bruce Weston, Consumer and Commercial Manager at Coca-Cola Oceania, says Coca-Cola is excited to be bringing the Trophy to New Zealand for the first time.

“Coca-Cola is delighted to be welcoming the FIFA World Cup™ Trophy - a sports icon into our country, and to celebrate New Zealand’s involvement in the 2010 FIFA World Cup™.”

All White centre back Ben Sigmund is understandably excited to be involved with the FIFA World Cup™ Trophy Tour by Coca-Cola.

“Seeing the FIFA World Cup™ Trophy up close is something special, and it’s certainly helping me to get fired up about the FIFA World Cup™ finals.”

In addition to this morning’s proceedings, 500 New Zealand football fans who have won a once-in-a-lifetime experience will have their chance to see the FIFA World Cup™ Trophy in person and take photos.

Reynald Temarii, President of OFC and FIFA Vice President, is looking forward to being able to bring this experience to Kiwi fans.

“We’ve had such a great reception around the world and we’re looking forward to being able to continue the celebration in New Zealand.”

The tour, which began its journey from the FIFA headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland on September 21st, 2009, is visiting 84 countries and travelling over 138,902 kilometres, or more than three times the circumference of the earth.

The details for the FIFA World Cup™ Trophy Tour by Coca-Cola was developed through an exclusive partnership between FIFA and Coca-Cola, a FIFA Partner and one of the organisation’s longest standing corporate partners.

Coca-Cola thanks the many people involved in helping to get FIFA World Cup™ Trophy to visit New Zealand including Ryan Nelsen, Captain of the All Whites, New Zealand Football, FIFA and all the New Zealand football fans, who have been hoping to see the Trophy since the All Whites qualified.