Stop the Stadium

Otago Daily Times, 6 September 2008

The announcement of the 2011 World Cup quarterfinal venues emphasised how much professional rugby has hurt Dunedin and Otago.

A decade or 15 years ago, the Otago administration and fans would have been spitting tacks had Dunedin been omitted as a venue for the business end of the tournament.

Otago did not even bother applying to host a quarterfinal for 2011. One of the criteria was to have a capacity of at least 35,000 and only 29,000 squeezed into Carisbrook for the test against the Springboks in July….

It’s looking through rose-tinted glasses to suggest Otago has always been a rugby stronghold.

When the inaugural World Cup was held in 1987, Otago did not have a single player in the All Blacks and the team did not play south of Christchurch.

Otago’s lot was to host matches between Ireland and Canada, Italy and Fiji and Scotland and Romania, all in the space of four days.

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Otago Daily Times, 5 Sep 2008

2011 cup quarterfinals allocated

Wellington and Christchurch were allocated the quarterfinals for the next Rugby World Cup yesterday but Dunedin did not even get in the starting blocks….

Dunedin did not apply to host a quarterfinal.

One of the criteria for a quarterfinal was the stadium had to have a capacity of at least 35,000.

Carisbrook held 29,136 in a sold-out test against the Springboks in July this year and the new Awatea St Stadium has a planned capacity of 30,170….

He [Martin Snedden] said the difference in income missed out by spreading the tournament to Wellington and Christchurch were “not inconsiderable”.

The World Cup was expected to record a $30 million loss but that has been underwritten by the Government….

Snedden had earlier warned tickets would be above what had previously been paid for at a sporting event in New Zealand.

It would be well above prices paid in the first World Cup, in 1987.

Tickets in covered areas for pool matches in Dunedin in 1987 were $20, with a terrace ticket costing just $5.

Rugby World Cup Minister Clayton Cosgrove said the event would boost New Zealand’s economy by $500 million and the quarterfinals would provide a huge lift for the respective regions….

Bids have to be with the RNZ 2011 by the end of next month…

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Rugby Heaven, 4 September 2008

Christchurch and Wellington were confirmed as the two cities to host the 2011 Rugby World Cup quarter-finals, ensuring the plan to envelop the country with the tournament would be achieved for the business-end of the event.

Auckland’s Eden Park was named to host the play-off for third as well as both semifinals and the final.
Martin Snedden, CEO, Rugby New Zealand 2011 Ltd confirmed the play-offs venues at an announcement in Wellington on Thursday afternoon.

The decisions were backed by the International Rugby Board despite earlier suggestions they were wanting Eden Park to have two quarter-finals….

Venues for the 40 pool matches will be announced next March or April and Snedden said they would cover the country.

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Rugby Heaven, 29 August 2008

Four Government MPs based in Christchurch have written to organisers of the 2011 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand calling for two quarter-finals to be held in the South Island.

Labour MPs Tim Barnett, Lianne Dalziel, Ruth Dyson and Progressive leader Jim Anderton said it was important to recognise the rest of the country, outside Auckland.

“If the South Island cannot host either semifinal, which we accept is the reality due to the logistics of moving so many people to Auckland for the final, then Christchurch should host two quarterfinals to reinforce that it is New Zealand, not just Auckland, that is hosting the Rugby World Cup.”

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