Best NZ apps for Rugby World Cup 2011
Here are some apps that will not only help you stay on top of the footy, but also provide you with games, activities and tools for when you visit New Zealand.
Official Rugby World Cup app
update It's nearing Rugby World Cup (RWC) time at this year's host country, New Zealand, so if you've booked your tickets and are counting down the days till the footy starts, here are some apps that will help you find your way around all the sheep in New Zealand.
In this app wrap, you'll find a number of handy guides, attractions and games for when you can peel yourself away from the footy matches.
For some great travel apps, you can see our best free travel apps round-up. And, once you return — or even while you're still there — you can share your photos of the RWC and New Zealand on CNET Australia's Gone Walkabout.
Let us know of any apps you're using for the rugby in the comments below.
Free
Android, iPhone, BlackBerry, Windows Phone 7
Stay on top of the teams, scores, match schedules, stadium information and so much more during the Rugby World Cup. In between games, you can also check out what's on in New Zealand. This is a very handy app to have, indeed.
World Cup Virtual Vuvuzela
Yes, we know it was used during the soccer World Cup, but perhaps you'd like to bring that magical sound back for the Rugby World Cup.
BlackBerry users can use Vuvuzela Free for Football fans, created by Mmmooo.
Sheep Launcher Freee!
It'd be very un-Australian of us to not mention sheep when we're talking about New Zealand. So here's a game that will preoccupy you during the quiet moments of the rugby. The game is simple: launch the sheep into the sky and keep tapping the screen to make the woolly fella fly high and collect as many stars as you can.
Woolen Sheep
Free
Android
Woolen Sheep lets you play as either the farmer trying to stop his sheep from escaping the field, or as a sheep trying to escape from the farm. It's a simple but very engrossing game.
PicSay
Free
Android
So you've taken photos of the footy, but before you hit send and show it off to your social network, PicSay lets you add word balloons and graphics, as well as allowing you to colour correct and distort photos.
PhotoWizard Editor
AU$0.99
iPhone
This photo editing app lets you touch up photos, crop, colour and add special effects. You'll be making those photos of the footy look fabulous before you show it off to your mates.
New ZealandNZ
This is a handy all-round app that will help you find things to do, where to shop, what's nearby and how to get there. Also included are 100 self-driving journeys that you can take once the RWC is over ... or, heaven forbid, your country has lost the match and you no longer care about the rugby.
HamiltonNZ
Free
iPhone
This was created by the city council of Hamilton, which will help you find entertainment, activities and dining choices within the city.
New Zealand Travel Guide
iPhone: Free; Android: AU$1.49
Android, iPhone
The New Zealand Travel Guide app is almost like a history guide, letting you know about the country's heritage. It also prepares you on what to expect when you visit New Zealand, including money matters, visa, what the climate is like at that time of year and so much more.
AHI's Offline Dunedin
AU$0.99
iPhone
Just like its namesake says, it has maps of Dunedin that don't need an internet connection. So all you footy fans can't get lost while trying to find your way to the stadium and then back to your hotel (or local pub).
Map and Walking Tours
Lite version: Free; full version: US$4.99
iPhone: Wellington, Auckland
This app is filled with self-guided walks around the chosen city you've downloaded — either Wellington or Auckland (there's even one for Christchurch if you venture away from the RWC). What's more is that the maps are offline! No internet connection, and no surprising data roaming fees when you return home.
Palmerston North Genius Map
Free
iPhone
This is an offline map of Palmerston North, where some of the RWC matches will be held. It can be used to search for addresses, landmarks or even to bookmark a location.
Wellington & Auckland Transit
Free
Android: Wellington and Auckland
We combined these apps into one slide, as they are by the same creator and do the same thing, but for different cities in New Zealand. One is for Wellington, the other for Auckland. They're both timetables for buses, trains and ferries, and are regularly updated (yes, you'll need internet to use this) to show real-time information.
For iPhone users, there is Transit Times Wellington and Auckland, which cost AU$1.99 each to download.
New Zealand.Spot-On
Free
iPhone
This app was created by Air New Zealand, and it lets you plan your travel to the footy capital. Flights can be booked via the app, and you can look up various activities that can be had at each region, as well as the customary maps and Wi-Fi finder. It's a good all-round app to have on your phone.
Kiwi (New Zealand) Slang
AU$0.99
iPhone
For those who are unaccustomed to Kiwi slang, then this app is a must-have and should be downloaded before you step foot in the country. And just so you know, Kiwi is both a bird and the nickname for New Zealanders.
WeatherNZ
AU$1.99
iPhone
This app not only tells you the weather forecast, but it also charts tidal data and tells you the moon phases.
XE Currency Free
Free
Android, iPhone, BlackBerry
XE Currency is wonderfully simple, which is all you need for a foreign currency calculator. You won't be confused with how much a schooner of beer or a hot dog actually costs in your home currency. You can add as many currencies as you like, and calculate the amount you require from any one of the currencies with a simple press of the finger.
Rugby Expert
AU$2.99
iPhone
OK, so you're going to watch the RWC, but do you actually know what a drop kick, a dummy or even a mulligrubber is? The Rugby Expert acts like a dictionary, which will explain all of that rugby jargon for you.
For Android users, there is the Rugby Glossary app for AU$1.18.
Heineken Rugby Clubhouse
Free
iPhone
If you couldn't go to New Zealand to watch the rugby, then download the Heineken Rugby Clubhouse app. It lets you get in on the action, by letting you kick penalty goals in the same conditions as the rugby player at the exact same time as it's happening in New Zealand. Yup, you read right, it'll be in real time!
The app also has other rugby goodies, such as a training challenge, match replays and the Heineken Rugby Clubhouse Finder, where you can join mates in some of Australia's hotels that are playing the matches on telly.