TWO Durham businesses are benefitting as national rivalries grow in the run-up to Saturday's rugby union World Cup final in Sydney.

The Walkabout Australian theme bar has been granted a special licence to open early on Saturday.

The pub will open at 8.30am, 50 minutes before kick-off in Sydney. Alcohol and full Aussie-style breakfasts will be on offer.

Staff at the bar in North Road bar include several Australians. Paula Richardson, from Perth, Western Australia, will be sporting the green and gold colours of her home nation with pride.

She hopes the Wallabies will retain their crown despite the threat of England, who beat Australia on their most recent meeting in June.

She said: "It's got to be Australia. I'm confident and I'm hoping it will be by a big margin."

The pub's assistant manager, South African Charles Joubert, is sitting on the fence after the Springboks' failure to progress beyond the quarter-finals. He said: "Interest is growing. Although it was slow at first, it has certainly started to pick up as England have made it through to the later stages.

"With it being an England/Australia final it couldn't have been better for us. We're hoping it's a great climax to the competition," he said.

Meanwhile, business is also booming at the Durham branch of rugby sportswear store Canterbury of New Zealand in Claypath.

Assistant Chris Lomas said the new figure-hugging England shirts are in demand, particularly popular among Durham's student population.

"They're not exactly suitable for everyone, depending on their shape, but the more traditional cotton jerseys are still selling well."

Colleague Christine Powell said even previously football-focused boys are now all eager to become budding Jonny Wilkinsons in the wake of England's success Down Under.