Hamilton cashes in on Sevens

The first New Zealand Sevens tournament to be held in Hamilton pumped more than $3.3 million extra cash into the city, an economic impact report shows.

The analysis by Marketview following the sell-out February weekend leg of the HSBC Sevens World Series showed fans spent $1.9m over the two days while the event’s operational costs produced another $1.4m for the Hamilton economy.

The report also noted a 47 per cent increase in spend in the city’s CBD during the event, compared to the same weekend last year.

Hamilton entrepreneur Dallas Fisher, who formed the company 37 South to bring the moribund Wellington Sevens event to Hamilton in partnership with New Zealand Rugby, said he was “over the moon” with the findings.

“I’m not surprised but the real benefit is the extra spend it generated,” he said.

“And what I’m really excited about is that the Sevens produced this massive extra spend compared to three other sporting events in the city we compared it to.”

Comparisons were made with the two big Rugby League World Cup hembry@nzherald.co.nz shaw@nzherald.co.nz holly.ryan@nzherald.co.nz games late last year, Samoa versus Tonga and Kiwis versus Tonga, and the 2014 All Blacks test match against England. Fisher said the Samoa versus Tonga contest generated 3 per cent extra cash for the city and the Kiwis game 12 per cent.

The All Blacks test match generated 14 per cent extra cash, he said.

The Sevens will be back in Hamilton on Auckland anniversary weekend — January 26-27 — next year.

Tickets would go on sale in the next week, Fisher said. Next year’s event would have many new entertainment features, he said.

— Andrea Fox