Rugby World Cup

The All Blacks will enjoy home-field advantage as New Zealand hosts the Rugby World Cup this month. | Photo by Jeff J. Mitchell/Getty Images

To the host nation go the spoils. When the famed New Zealand All Blacks kick off the 2011 Rugby World Cup, the country's economy will be as revved up as the fans in the stands. According to a report by Horwath Asia Pacific Ltd., the cup will pour more than $400 million into the country's GDP, part of nearly $1 billion in total economic activity expected as a result of the event. With 200,000 people expected to attend the matches, a projected $219 million will be generated from ticket sales alone--and as the largest sports event ever to be held in New Zealand, the cup will draw eyes from around the globe, with an estimated TV audience of 4 billion people. Game on!

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A version of this article appears in the September 2011 issue of Fast Company.