It would do nobody any good to have an event, any event, "flop".

There's a few inaccuracies in that article. Rally NZ was not originally the Motogard. It was originally the Shell Silver Fern and then the Heatway Rally and the Radio NZ Rally before Motogard took naming rights in '78 ... the year after Bacchelli won in the Fiat.

Those who would champion NZ over Australia need to remember that it was NZ who stepped away from the year about arrangement. You step out of the queue and take your chances at the next available opening.