McCully sorry not all moved RWC games stayed south

Matches will not be held at AMI Stadium in Christchurch. Photo / Sarah Ivey

Rugby World Cup Minister Murray McCully is disappointed not all the five pool games that were scheduled for Christchurch were kept in the South Island.

Dunedin and Auckland have emerged as the major beneficiaries of the decision to move World Cup matches away from the quake-damaged city.

World Cup organisers yesterday confirmed the revised schedule which has seen the relocation of the five pool matches and two quarter-finals to have been played in Christchurch.

NEW RUGBY WORLD CUP SCHEDULE

The three remaining South Island venues - Nelson, Dunedin and Invercargill - will host an extra match, while North Harbour Stadium and Wellington will also get an additional game.

Eden Park will host two quarter-finals, both semifinals and the final.

Mr McCully said he had hoped the pool games would stay in the South Island.

"It's a question of having the whole concept of a stadium of four million people. We wanted to keep as much of the North Island/South Island balance as possible. Clearly the shift of those games and the quarter-finals is a significant shift to the North Island.

"That's disappointing, frankly, [but] it's their decision and we accept that. But I had a duty to convey a sense that the Government would like the games in the South Island, if possible."

Accommodation pressures and the tight timeframe for the new stadium in Dunedin were factors in moving two pool games north, he said.

The chief executive of RNZ 2011, Martin Snedden, said: "Our desire was always to transfer as many of the Christchurch pool matches as was reasonably possible to other existing South Island venues.

"Nelson, Dunedin and Invercargill were logical choices to each host one additional match. But there were always going to be significant problems going beyond that."

Auckland gets three extra matches, including the quarter-finals, though the Herald yesterday revealed that would come at a cost of $3.168 million to the city, which could be passed on to ratepayers.

Hanmer Springs was announced as a new team base, with Australia spending four nights there ahead of their match against Russia in Nelson. Queenstown will now host Georgia.

Ticketholders for all Christchurch matches and the Scotland-Georgia match will receive a refund and the opportunity to secure replacement tickets.

Mr Snedden said the process would involve 20,000 customers and 150,000 tickets.

RESCHEDULED
Sept 10: Argentina v England, Otago Stadium, Dunedin

Sept 11: Australia v Italy, North Harbour Stadium, Auckland

Sept 14: Scotland v Georgia, Rugby Park Stadium, Invercargill (transferred from Dunedin)

Sept 18: England v Georgia, Otago Stadium, Dunedin

Sept 25: Argentina v Scotland, Wellington Regional Stadium, Wellington

Oct 1: Australia v Russia, Trafalgar Park, Nelson

additional reporting Derek Cheng