Auckland marathon organizers "have acknowledged they are expecting to take a financial hit on this year's event, due to the clash with the Rugby World Cup final."
Both events "will take place on the morning" of Nov. 1. The World Cup final starts at 5:30am, the marathon half an hour later.
No entry numbers "have been released for the marathon yet," but COO Jane Patterson admitted "we are of the mind" that the financial return may be grim, adding "it was too early to speculate on how many runners to gather at the startline, but they are preparing for a disappointing return" (NEW ZEALAND HERALD, 6/18). ... Cricket ball manufacturer Kookaburra said that pink-colored cricket balls "are ready to be used if the inaugural day-night Test match goes ahead in Australia in November." Cricket Australia "is hoping to stage the first day-night Test against New Zealand later this year, with Adelaide, Brisbane and Hobart among the possible venues." Kookaburra Managing Dir Brett Elliot:
"The Kookaburra turf pink ball has been extensively tested over the past five years by the MCC, ECB, CA, and I believe the ball is ready for an international Test match" (PTI, 6/18) ... Toronto's Public Health Department revealed six new condom wrapper designs as part of its condomTO campaign Wednesday. Coucillor Joe Mihevc, who launched the condomTO campaign at Yonge-Dundas Square, said, "As we welcome thousands of visitors and athletes to the city this summer, we want to encourage healthy and safer sex" (Toronto Public Health). ... An additional 30,000 tickets for the Rugby World Cup "are to go on sale" at 10am on Thursday, including five matches at Twickenham. The newly released tickets "are a mixture of handbacks from the Rugby World Cup Ltd. commercial program, extra seats from the venues and tickets that have been registered for resale from fans that can no longer use them" (London GUARDIAN, 6/18).
