Fans wait inside The Cloud to watch the Rugby World Cup final between the All Blacks and France on screen on 23 October 2011. During the 2000s the New Zealand government provided considerable funding for major sporting events held in New Zealand. Such events attracted international visitors and helped market the country. The 2011 Rugby World Cup was the largest of these events, and one associated government initiative was building The Cloud on the Auckland waterfront. It functioned as an inner-city 'fan zone' and event centre.