Sideline Sid Sports correspondant & historian www.sunlive.co.nz

While the Rugby World Cup kicks off on Friday night with the mighty All Blacks opening the tournament against Tonga, the rugby championship of the world has already started for Sidline Sid.

Volunteers are one of the mainstays of major world sporting events with many thousands answering the call to duty in New Zealand in 2011 when nominations opened last year.

The volunteers will become the face of the tournament to the thousands of visitors who are arriving in the country to watch the best rugby players on the planet, in head-to-head combat over the next six weeks.

The volunteer army of 5500 will do everything from meet and greet of teams and rugby supporters, be on duty at non match venues such as Tauranga to dispense friendly information, and be at match venues leading up to and on game days.

I have been lucky enough to be selected for the accreditation team at the Rotorua International Stadium.

Essentially our job is to ensure that everyone entering the stadium from Monday is entitled to be there.

While it sounds relatively simple, there are a huge number of people on the Rotorua database, who must receive the mandatory dog tag to enter the venue.

There are a multitude of various people and reasons for accessing the stadium.

This week is all about set-up, while on game day there will be everything from VIPs, players, support and service staff along with the two hundred plus volunteers on duty.

The accreditation process starts in the accreditation centre front office with the initial identification of accreditation applicants by way of photo ID.

From there the individual ID is brought up on the computer screen, from where the correct zone/zones pass will be printed, laminated and put in the dog tag pouch.

Complete security is maintained at the various venues throughout the country, with the creation of eight separate zones.

The start is zone one which is the field of play where very few at the venue will gain entrance, along with zone two being the tunnel/changing rooms.

My access is to zone three which is the operational area – and the public area's of zone eight which means I can probably catch some of the on field action.

The other zones are media and broadcast zones along with the VIP and hospitably area's.

Unless you are accredited for a zone or zones there is absolutely no chance of gaining access. Such is the level of security that people delivering goods also need a pass, which gives access to nothing other than the drop off point.

While Rotorua has none of the high profiles games, it has got to be remembered that the matches are all full test matches, and should be well worth the affordable entry charge.

Saturday sees Pacific neighbours Fiji line up against Namibia, while four days later the African nation will play Samoa.

The biggest crowd in the Sulphur City venue is expected when Ireland meet Russia on Sunday, September 25.

While Ireland will be expected to prevail by a big margin, the novelty of Russia who are playing in their first Rugby world Cup, will be worth the price of admission

Seeya at the (Rugby World Cup) Game (In Rotorua on Saturday).