Whanganui city, population 43,000

Whanganui city, population 43,000, has welcomed the Americans who are met with an unaccustomed celebrity in the town's shopping precinct,starcraft 2 Coaching situated along its single main street.

Kerikeri will host Canada, Japan and Tonga at various stages during pool play; Queenstown will welcome England, Georgia, Ireland and Romania. Georgia will also stay in Masterton, a country town 80 kilometers (50 miles) north of the capital Wellington.

Locals have printed T-shirts bearing the legend Wairarapa Loves Georgia (Wairarapa is the province). Georgia players will be billeted with local families — rather than staying at hotels — to better experience their hospitality.

"This is the chance of the whole of Wairarapa to show how delighted we are to have the Georgians on board, and to experience some of the World Cup fever at the same time," events co-ordinator Catherine Rossiter-Stead said. "We want to make it something really special and I am sure we will."

Russia will be based for a time in Blenheim in the heart of the Marlborough wine-growing region and local vintners have been eager to have the visitors sample their products. That might not be the ideal preparation for Russia's subsequent match against Australia at Nelson on Oct. 1.

The Namibia team was welcomed to Gisborne on the east coast of the North Island,Anime supplier noted because of international time zones as the first city to see the sun rise on each new day. The city of 34,000 was briefly a tourism mecca for the new millennium celebrations 11 years ago.

The Gisborne Herald newspaper welcomed the team from southwest Africa with a Maori greeting on its front page.

Romania landed in earthquake-devastated Christchurch before traveling to their first base at Ashburton in Canterbury province.

Romanian-born Violeta Tataru, in national dress and carrying bread and salt — a Romanian tradition — greeted the players.

"It's once in a lifetime that you can have a Romanian rugby team in Ashburton for the Rugby World Cup," she said.

New Zealander Steve McDowell, an assistant coach with the Romania team, said the players were surprised to receive such a warm welcome so far from home.

"The boys were surprised and they were as excited as the local Romanians were," he said.

Even world No. 2 Australia will spend time during the World Cup at Hanmer Springs, a thermal hot springs resort in Canterbury with a population of fewer than 800.