Turin, 9 June 2008
A winning debut for the All Blacks in the first match in the 2008 Iveco Series rugby games played last weekend at the Westpac Stadium in Wellington, New Zealand.
The All Blacks got the better of Ireland (21-11) in a match played in difficult weather conditions, with the driving rain and icy wind creating considerable difficulties for the players and reminding everybody that the Southern Hemisphere winter is near at hand.
Thanks to this success, the New Zealand team were awarded the Eurocargo Cup, presented to their captain Richie McCaw at the end of the game by Stephane Ficarelli, General Manager of Iveco’s French market.
The New Zealanders now go on to Auckland, where, next Saturday, in the splendid setting of the Eden Park Stadium, they take on World Cup runners-up England in the second match in the Iveco Series. This match will be played for the Stralis Cup, which will be awarded to the team that wins not only next Saturday but also on the 21st of June, when New Zealand and England meet again at the AMI Stadium in Christchurch, South Island.
On this occasion too, Italian rugby lovers will be able to follow the exploits of the All Blacks on Sky Italia, which will be broadcasting the Iveco Series games live. The match will also be broadcast all over the world on TV (14 authorised broadcasters) and the Internet.
At the same time, the match commentary can be heard on Iveco Rugby Radio, the first all-rugby Web radio, broadcasting a non-stop mixture (24 hours a day, 7 days a week) of music and rugby, with programs on the history and rules of the sport and information on Iveco products and initiatives.