NZ | RUGBY WORLD CUP 2011

[Richard7666]

http://www.suite101.com/content/rugb...ckland-a358908

Not gonna happen. Even in Dunedin. Looks like they're all going to Auckland.

Pity as I think Queenstown (which has none but is the tourism jewel in our crown) or any of the cities mentioned previously could easily cope with a Major v Minnow game at least.

[IHaveNoLegs]

Queenstown would be a great venue if it actually had a rugby ground. I would like to see most of these games go to Dunedin but I suspect that it will mostly go to Auckland.

[Mr_kiwi_fruit]

Christchurch loses all RWC games
NZ HERALD
3:09 PM Wednesday Mar 16, 2011

Christchurch has been stripped of its seven Rugby World Cup matches due to damage at AMI Stadium following last month's earthquake. AMI Stadium was set to host five group matches and two quarterfinals during the World Cup which runs through September and October. However Rugby World Cup Minister Murray McCully announced today that the games will have to be moved to other venues around the country. Auckland will now host the two quarterfinal matches while the other venues are yet to be named.

Australia, England and Argentina were all set to play twice at AMI Stadium while the fourth quarterfinal would mostly feature the All Blacks if they finished top of Group A. The Crusaders, who use AMI Stadium as their home venue for the Super 15, have already moved two 'home' fixtures to Nelson this season and plan to play their next two against the Sharks and Bulls in London and Timaru respectively.

Matches scheduled for Christchurch:

Saturday September 10 - Argentina v England
Sunday September 11 - Australia v Italy
Sunday September 18 - England v Georgia
Sunday September 25 - Argentina v Scotland
Sunday October 1 - Australia v Russia


Saturday October 8 - Quarterfinal 2
Sunday October 9 - Quarterfinal 4

International Rugby Board (IRB) representatives met in Christchurch today. Cabinet minister Steven Joyce said IRB officials wanted to be as fair as they can in making the decision - which is why they are talking to the Government about it. "They want to make a decision with everyone around the table coming to the same decision if at all possible," he told Newstalk ZB's Mike Hosking. Christchurch had been set to host two quarterfinals and five group-stage games, but damage from the February 22 earthquake has called that into question.

The IRB had the final say on whether the scheduled games will go ahead. Before the announcement, international reports have said the IRB had already decided to rule out Christchurch as an option. A senior International Rugby Board source told Britain's Daily Telegraph an engineers' structural report of AMI Stadium, due to be published this week, was expected to be "bleak", and the city would lose its hosting rights. The Telegraph website reported the stadium had sustained not only serious liquefaction to the pitch, but said the engineer's report would confirm structural damage to the stands.

The Telegraph also reported the English rugby team, who were to be staying at the damaged Crowne Plaza hotel, are now likely to be based in Auckland for the tournament, which begins in September.

[KLK]

So the ABs won't play a single game in the South Island...

FBS will be the big winner, picking up the bigger pool clashes - Arg v Eng, Arg v Sco and Aus v Italy. Although while it says all 5 games will stay in the SI, perhaps one of those bigger clashes will move to Wellington.

Nelson and Invercargill to grab another one each.

[KiwiGuy]

We're already hosting the Italian team and a Russian match already. Perhaps another Russian match might come our way as well.

[KLK]

The problem is that the "smaller" games involve Australia (v Russia) and England (v Georgia).

Those two teams will each easily have 10,000 supporters with/wanting tickets. That means they would practically fill out Trafalgar alone, before we talk of locals and even the opposition fans.

[Richard7666]

Would Argentina v Scotland be smaller than Aus v Russia or England v Georgia?

[KiwiGuy]

Originally Posted by KLK

The problem is that the "smaller" games involve Australia (v Russia) and England (v Georgia).

Those two teams will each easily have 10,000 supporters with/wanting tickets. That means they would practically fill out Trafalgar alone, before we talk of locals and even the opposition fans.

But how many Nelsonians would want to watch Russia vs someone else? That's the question. Personally, I don't think it would matter that much. Nelson in concentrating on milking as much spending money from the increased tourism as possible.

[KiwiGuy]

For those who think Nelson isn't capable of hosting more than two games:

City Confident It Can Take Extra Visitors

http://www.stuff.co.nz/nelson-mail/n...extra-visitors

Nelson tourism accommodation providers are confident they can cope with extra Rugby World Cup game visitors.

New Zealand Motel Association Nelson administration officer John Gilbertson said any extra games would benefit Nelson's economy by bringing more people into the region.

The region's commercial accommodation providers could meet the demand for beds, as long as they used their existing room stock efficiently.

Providers had to make sure bookings were made for people definitely attending the games.

"We cannot afford to book rooms on a promise.

"There are still a heap of rooms available, but we do not know how many routine local clients will be displaced by the out-of-towners coming in."

Nelson Tasman Tourism chief executive Linda Keene said extra RWC games would create a "second high season"' for the region's operators. To date it was estimated the current scheduled games for Nelson would bring in between 5000 and 10,000 rugby followers, she said.

Operators could easily cater for the additional demand because the games fell outside the traditional summer tourist peak, she said.

About 2000 tourists a day circulated through the region during the usual summer peak, she said.

Additional games would also strengthen the region's profile and introduce it to a wider audience of rugby supporters, especially if Nelson scored one of the RWC's more prominent fixtures, she said.

[UglyBob]

Dunedin to be English base with Georgia and Argentina games; Invercargill to get Scotland v Georgia off Dunedin; Australia v Russia in Nelson; Australia v Italy at North Harbour and Scotland v Argentina at Westpac.

If correct there'll be disappointment in Invercargill (who had high hopes for Scotland v Argentina) and Dunedin will be praying that the English team still attracts plenty of the Barmy Army.

Dunedin new cup base for England
Sunday News 20 March 2011

England are set to base themselves in Dunedin for the Rugby World Cup, rather than Auckland.

Rugby World Cup sources have revealed to Sunday News the intended venues for the five games to be moved from Christchurch because of the earthquake.

World Cup organisers are still working through a few logistic issues before venues are locked in, but once all the boxes are ticked, it will be confirmed that England will play Argentina and Georgia in Dunedin, Argentina will play Scotland in Wellington and Australia's two affected games mean they'll now be playing Italy at North Harbour Stadium and Russia in Nelson.

There is expected to be one further change to the schedule with Scotland v Georgia being moved from Dunedin to Invercargill.

Taking Scotland out of Dunedin is sure to disappoint some, considering the city's strong connections to the country. But with the number of games in Dunedin going from three to four, including the huge England v Argentina match, there won't be too many arguments.

It has already been announced that both of Christchurch's quarterfinals will move to Auckland to take advantage of the 60,000 seat capacity of the revamped Eden park.

There was considerable expectation that England's games planned for Christchurch would end up in Auckland too, especially when considering the large numbers of their supporters who will need to find accommodation.

Tournament organisers suggest as many as 15,000 England fans could be in New Zealand for the tournament. They will bring with them a huge financial windfall for any region they visit.

The news of this revamped schedule will come as a disappointment to those in Hamilton. The Waikato Rugby Union were desperate for more fixtures to help out with the chronic financial position it finds itself in.

The proposed changes have been circulated to the affected teams.

Confirmation of the new schedule is expected within the next 10 days.

The World Cup kicks off at Eden Park on September 9 when the All Blacks play Tonga.

Damage to AMI Stadium and a lack of infrastructure in earthquake-ravaged Christchurch resulted in the city losing its seven scheduled games. The IRB made the announcement in Christchurch last Wednesday.

[KiwiGuy]

Fewer Tickets for Cup Games
http://www.stuff.co.nz/nelson-mail/n...-for-Cup-games

Ticket numbers for Nelson's Rugby World Cup games have been cut by 2000 to 18,000.

Nelson City Council spokeswoman Angela Ricker said the reduction was to provide more space at Trafalgar Park for food stalls and large television screens, and more room for people to move around.

She said the move would reduce the number of cheaper category two tickets available, but would not affect other types.

An up-to-date figure for the number of tickets remaining was not available, but Ms Ricker advised people who were thinking of going to the games to get in early to avoid missing out.

The council's Game On Festival has expanded over the past month, adding a "Rugby in our Region" window display by the Nelson Provincial Museum, which will show historic images of the game along with a small exhibition inside. Applications to hold events as part of the festival close on April 1. Ms Ricker said 10 applications were pending.

Take note of the new capacity revision number - 18,000

[IHaveNoLegs]

Interesting because the world cup site has always listed Trafalgar Parks capacity as 18,000.

[Richard7666]

Confirmed,

Dunedin to get England vs Argentina
Nelson to get Australia vs Russia
Invercargill to get Scotland vs Georgia
North Harbour to get Australia vs Italy
Wellington to get Scotland vs Argentina

[UglyBob]

Originally Posted by Richard7666

Confirmed,

Dunedin to get England vs Argentina
Nelson to get Australia vs Russia
Invercargill to get Scotland vs Georgia
North Harbour to get Australia vs Italy
Wellington to get Scotland vs Argentina

Also Dunedin gets England v Georgia

[KiwiGuy]

So that makes it two Italian and two Russian games now? Australia vs Russia game's going to bring a shitload of publicity and money, no doubt.

[Richard7666]

Nelson only has the 3 games but I assume one of them must be Italy vs Russia

[bosshp]

Originally Posted by Richard7666

Confirmed,

Dunedin to get England vs Argentina
Nelson to get Australia vs Russia
Invercargill to get Scotland vs Georgia
North Harbour to get Australia vs Italy
Wellington to get Scotland vs Argentina

oke
thank !

[Svartmetall]

Erk, I'm not sure I'd want to be in Dunedin with England vs. Argentina. Tends to get a little heated. Still, fantastic opportunity for Dunedin, I just hope that the fans don't wreck it.

[Richard7666]

They're well versed in handling riots.

[adeaide]

It seems that matches at Ami Stadium will not be held due to earthquake in Christchurch.