PLAY IT AGAIN: An scene from the opening ceremony to the 2011 Rugby World Cup at Eden Park, New Zealand.

Another Rugby World Cup for New Zealand is on the agenda.

The success of this year's event has caused Rugby World Cup Minister Murray McCully to change tack, having previously argued the 2011 event might be this country's last chance at a major sporting event because of the high costs involved.

But now he has told the Sunday Star-Times the way the cup was unfolding proved New Zealand was capable of hosting big events, and he believed the country could have "another shot" – or even mount a Commonwealth Games bid.

"I have been one of those who have been pretty cautious about any ambition to host the cup again, simply because the numbers have got so much steeper in recent times," McCully said. "But I think New Zealanders have demonstrated we are up for this competition – that we can handle large numbers – so I hope one of the things we do after this tournament is to give ourselves the confidence to have another shot."

And he would not rule out a future Commonwealth Games bid despite the government rejecting an approach to part-fund a bid for the 2018 event. However, he said the funds required were more than the government could put into a world cup shortfall.

"You are looking at hundreds of millions by comparison," he said. "This is a tournament that brings larger benefits for much smaller investment ... it is a really great deal. But giving ourselves the confidence to take on decent-sized events is something we should take out of this."

England will host the 2015 cup and Japan the 2019 event but McCully said he was confident New Zealand could host a third tournament.

"We have not just demonstrated we can make it work, we have also shown New Zealand has a place in the queue of nations that want to host the cup."

And rugby boss Steve Tew also says the opening weeks of the cup prove New Zealand is capable of staging the event again.

International Rugby Board officials have stated a number of times in the leadup to the seventh world cup that it was likely to be the last time it could be staged here because of financial considerations and time-zone issues.

But Tew, rugby union chief executive, said all bets were now off and that New Zealand had proved beyond doubt it could not only stage the event, but create a level of interest that surpasses almost every other country in the world.

"On a number of fronts we have put that to bed. You've got to get into a competitive bid situation, and whether you're ever successful again is another story," Tew said.

A potential host had to be convinced it could stage the event, he said, and convince the relevant governing body.

"I'm not just talking world cup, I'm talking other events that would benefit our country by our being hosts. We may have to think outside the square there."

He said he was proud the union's vision was playing out before his eyes, a sentiment echoed by former All Blacks captain Tana Umaga, who congratulated the public for the way they were responding to the tournament.

Umaga was a member of the delegation that made a bid for the cup in front of the IRB, at which he promised a "stadium of four million" if New Zealand was granted the event.

"It has been amazing, exactly what we thought it would be. When we went to the bid, we thought about ourselves as a small country but one with four million supporters, and it seems that is what the event has become.

"I have been so proud to be a New Zealander over these past few weeks because of the way we have not only supported the All Blacks, but every country."

Meanwhile, McCully says Wallabies fans are kidding themselves if they think they'll escape trans-Tasman taunts during the tournament, after several Australian fans went public this past week with claims they had been abused.

McCully, who regularly goes to matches, said he had not witnessed any behaviour from New Zealanders that caused him concern, and he said verbal barbs would always be traded between All Blacks and Wallabies fans, saying it was part of the "competitive streak" between the two nations.

"There is always a bit of rivalry but it is almost always in the best possible spirit."