Queenstown to take on Richie McCaw after win

Queenstown to take on Richie McCaw after Mastercard’s ‘Tap for your town’ win

Auckland, New Zealand – 7 September 2017 – Queenstown has taken out Mastercard’s ‘Tap for your town’ competition, after strong competition from across New Zealand.

Queenstown made the highest number of contactless payment transactions (aka ‘taps’) per capita from June to August placing it in the top spot. The win sees Queenstown get a visit from Richie McCaw who will host the ultimate game of touch at a local venue.

“Congratulations to Queenstown who stormed home in the final weeks to take out the competition. It was great to see so many Kiwis across the country tapping to win. Queenstown was able to hold off strong competition from Twizel, Wellington and Kaikoura who came second, third and fourth respectively.

“Queenstown now gets the exciting opportunity to host Richie and show him what makes the Queenstown community so special. From what I have heard so far Queenstown will be going for a win,” said Peter Chisnall, Country Manager for Mastercard New Zealand and the Pacific Islands.

“This will be the ultimate game of touch – a David vs Goliath battle – as local touch stars get to take on Richie’s hand-picked team. I am excited to hear about Queenstown’s game plan and how they will train to try and take down Richie and his team! We hope to see many families and sports clubs supporting the competition.

“We are working with Touch New Zealand and the local community to firm up arrangements for game day and will share these soon. We encourage the community to get behind and support their side, while enjoying the day’s entertainment.”

Queenstown Lakes District Mayor Jim Boult says “It’s great to see that our local community’s adoption of new technology has paid back by winning this campaign. We’ve been fortunate in hosting a wide range of sporting events, and we’re excited to learn that Richie McCaw will be visiting soon to challenge one of our local Queenstown teams in a game of touch. He’s a familiar face in the district and we’re always delighted to see him participating in local events”.

“Now it’s up to New Zealand to decide which team to support when the game is broadcast live to the nation. Will you back Richie’s team of all-stars or will you get behind the local Queenstown team?” says Chisnall.

According to a recent Mastercard survey more than three quarters of Kiwis are using contactless to ‘tap and go’ for transactions under $80, or to ‘tap and PIN’ for transactions over $80.

“People are increasingly using contactless when making day-to-day purchases. More than half of Kiwis are now using contactless technology at least once a week, up 12 percent on last year. This competition was all about encouraging Kiwis to get tapping in order to reap the many benefits contactless payments offer,” says Chisnall.

“We are excited to bring this priceless experience to Queenstown, with many Kiwis only dreaming of taking on Richie on the playing field.”

ENDS

© Scoop Media