Thanks everyone – twelve years in the making and worth the wait | 15.co.za | | Rugby News, Live Scores, Results, Fixtures

Thanks everyone – twelve years in the making and worth the wait

Jul 10 • General News, International • 1049 Views • Comments Off on Thanks everyone – twelve years in the making and worth the wait

At the end of an amazing 10-match DHL NZ Lions Series, New Zealand Rugby (NZR) has congratulated the All Blacks and British & Irish Lions on a hard-fought Test Series and thanked New Zealanders and visiting fans for their support of the13^th tour by the Lions.

NZR Chief Executive, Steve Tew said the way kiwis and visiting British & Irish Lions got behind the Series firmly demonstrated the relevance and uniqueness of the event.

“Congratulations to the All Blacks and the British & Irish Lions for an extraordinary Test Series. Both teams ensured a truly memorable event and will share the Series honors and silverware – a truly extraordinary set of circumstances. Throughout the 10-game Series, we saw amazing rugby and I would like to thank all the teams involved. Any questions on the future of the Lions Series should be firmly put to bed given the extraordinary success of the past six weeks.

“From Northland through to Otago, the regions hosting matches pulled out all the stops to ensure that the 20,000 visiting fans and hundreds of thousands of New Zealanders were able to enjoy the iconic Series, on and off the rugby fields.

“More than 342,000 seats were filled across the ten matches, while tens of thousands joined in the festivities at fan zones and other events as part of the NZ Rugby Festival.

One million New Zealanders watched the final match of the Series live, with an estimated two million fans in the United Kingdom tuning in and more watching around the world.

“It was great to see the way the nation got behind the DHL NZ Lions Series and we are thankful to a huge number of people for contributing to a wonderful experience that will linger long in the memories.

“Not only was the support superb in the cities where matches were played, but all across the country people went out of their way to create a marvelous atmosphere and ensured the Lions supporters enjoyed their time in our country, regardless of the results on the field.

“Once again New Zealand has successfully delivered a major international event that has been followed by many millions around the world. To everyone who played their part in making the DHL NZ Lions Series a truly memorable occasion, thank you,” Tew said.

Final details about the economic benefits from the DHL NZ Lions Series are still being calculated and will be announced at a later date.