Plans to revive Rally NZ

The New Zealand Rally could be back on the World Rally Championship calendar within the next few years.

Auckland Tourism Events and Economic Development (Ateed), an arm of Auckland Council, is backing a bid to bring the rally to the country for the first time since 2012 as a WRC event, believing it will help show off Auckland to the world.

‘‘We’ve definitely been having a look at that,’’ Ateed’s head of major events Stuart Turner said.

‘‘Firstly because there is a great interest in the rally and Kiwis and motorsport go well together.

‘‘But also, it’s a real showcasing event. It helps you showcase the city and the countryside of the whole of the Auckland region.

‘‘There is a bit of work happening on that and we would definitely be keen to get it back.’’

Last year the New Zealand Rally was held as a non WRC event and won by Hayden Paddon.

The WRC’s Australian rally takes place next weekend around Coffs Harbour and is also on the calendar for next year.

Motorsport’s governing body, FIA, is pushing for the WRC to be less Eurocentric, which helps the cause of countries like New Zealand, Kenya and Japan, and Turner says they could know by early 2019 if they’ve been successful.

‘‘It could be a few years away, but in terms of an announcement, if it’s going to happen that will come within the next six months to a year,’’ he said.

‘‘But it could be for a few years down the line. Usually with these sports things, they work on a two to three year window or sometimes even longer than that.’’

Ateed has become one of the major figures on the New Zealand sporting landscape. It’s behind the bids to bring the women’s Rugby World Cup and women’s Cricket World Cup to New Zealand in 2021 and the Netball World Cup in 2023.