Rugby World Cup Win May Buoy Key's New Zealand Election Chances, Post Says

The New Zealand government’s re- election chances could be buoyed by success for the national All Blacks rugby team at next year’s World Cup, the Dominion Post reported, drawing on results of a U.S. study.

The study matched college football and basketball results from 1964 to 2009 with senate and presidential election results, and found that a win by a local team within 10 days of an election gave the incumbent candidate an extra 1.6 percent more votes, the newspaper said.

New Zealand hosts the Rugby World Cup next year, with the final scheduled for Oct. 23. An election could be held within weeks of the tournament ending, the newspaper said. The All Blacks are the number one ranked team although they haven’t won a World Cup since 1987.

To contact the reporter on this story: Tracy Withers in Wellington at twithers@bloomberg.net.

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