Press Office

Auckland, 14 May, 2010 – A payment plan with a special interest rate of 2.011% p.a. for a 12 month period on Rugby World Cup 2011 tickets purchased with any ANZ MasterCard credit card has been revealed today, making it even easier for New Zealanders to experience next year’s Rugby World Cup.

Kiwis who purchase RWC 2011 tickets (through RWC 2011 Ticketing) with an ANZ MasterCard credit card can spread the cost of the tickets over a 12 month period by paying a fixed instalment each month at the super low interest rate of 2.011% p.a.. Taking advantage of this special payment plan is easy, with a quick phone call to ANZ once the ticket purchase has been confirmed.

This is in addition to having double entry into the ballot for the opportunity to secure tickets to the semi-finals and the Final, when they use any MasterCard ANZ credit card to purchase RWC 2011 tickets.

“ANZ is excited to partner with MasterCard to make it even easier for New Zealanders to enjoy the thrill of Rugby World Cup 2011. This special payment plan allows tickets for Rugby World Cup 2011 to fit into most Kiwi household budgets,” said Mark Wilkshire, General Manager Lending Products.

“We are very happy to be able to bring our own sponsorship as Worldwide Partner and the Official Bank of Rugby World Cup 2011 together with that of MasterCard’s to truly amplify the benefits we can deliver to our customers.”

This latest offer from ANZ and MasterCard comes on the back of the recent launch by both organisations of a RWC 2011 prepaid MasterCard programme.

“As a Worldwide Partner and the official payment system for RWC 2011 we are tremendously excited about this initiative. Making it easier for New Zealanders to have a priceless Rugby World Cup experience is central to our involvement with this event,” said Eddie Grobler, executive vice president, Australasia, MasterCard Worldwide.

For New Zealanders who do not have a MasterCard card but want to take advantage of the double ballot entry offer, the RWC 2011 MasterCard ANZ Prepaid card has already been launched by ANZ.

“The RWC 2011 MasterCard ANZ Prepaid card is an easy, hassle-free way for all New Zealanders to double their chances to be at the semi-finals and the Final”, said Mr Grobler.

“We are glad that through MasterCard’s sponsorship of RWC 2011 and our exclusive ticketing incentive, we can offer rugby fans the chance to take advantage of MasterCard’s privileges and enjoy rugby’s show piece Tournament.”

• Apply for your tickets through RWC 2011 Ticketing, using your ANZ MasterCard credit card as your payment method. See www.rugbyworldcup.com for more details.
• Wait for confirmation from RWC 2011 that your application has been successful.
• Call ANZ on 0800 658 044 (option 2) between 8am and 8pm Monday to Friday to have the payment plan and special interest rate applied to the cost of the tickets² . This offer is only available until 31 July 2010 but will be offered again for individual tickets when they go on sale later in 2010.

Rugby fans can visit www.mastercard.co.nz/rwc2011 to find out more about the MasterCard privileges around RWC 2011 and the RWC 2011 MasterCard ANZ prepaid card.

MasterCard Worldwide advances global commerce by providing a critical economic link among financial institutions, businesses, cardholders and merchants worldwide. As a franchisor, processor and advisor, MasterCard develops and markets payment solutions, processes over 22 billion transactions each year, and provides industry-leading analysis and consulting services to financial-institution customers and merchants. Powered by the MasterCard Worldwide Network and through its family of brands, including MasterCard^®, Maestro^® and Cirrus^®, MasterCard serves consumers and businesses in more than 210 countries and territories. For more information go to www.mastercard.com. Follow us on Twitter:@mastercardnews.

MasterCard Worldwide is a Worldwide Partner and the official payment system of Rugby World Cup 2011. The company leverages the platform to further deliver shareholder value by creating exclusive business-building opportunities for its customer financial institutions, while building MasterCard brand affinity by offering priceless experiences to MasterCard cardholders. As part of its agreement, MasterCard secures a comprehensive rights and benefits package that allows the company to deliver value to customer financial institutions, merchants and cardholders, including the ability to access “Priceless” experiences linked to Rugby World Cup 2011.

Rugby World Cup is the crown jewel of the sport and a prominent global property – with television coverage of Rugby World Cup 2007 spanning more than 200 territories, reaching a cumulative audience of 4 billion viewers. Rugby World Cup 2011 is being held in New Zealand for the first time since the inaugural event in 1987. Teams representing 20 nations will compete in 48 matches across 13 host cities between 9 September and 23 October 2011.

Beyond its expertise in world-class sponsorship marketing, MasterCard also has a rich heritage of supporting the sport of Rugby in the host country. Over the past six years MasterCard has been a sponsor of the New Zealand All Blacks team.