OPINION
I have desperately missed a Christchurch stadium.
A big night out with my mates, at a world-class venue, watching the All Blacks or a top-class concert act.
I was happily jealous of Eden Park hosting the Crusaders in the Super Rugby Final, and then the All Blacks against Ireland. Wow.
It was packed out, hyped up, and looked like a great night out.
And then Dunedin, repeating Auckland - all the while Christchurch missed out.
I had real FOMO!
Christchurch is a sports-mad city. We love our rugby and cricket.
We are super proud of our sporting heroes from Richie McCaw, Steve Sumner and Richard Hadlee, to Dick Taylor, Leigh Gibbs and Sophie Pascoe.
And we love going to our own sports stadia and concert venues.
That was until the earthquake happened.
I will never forget members of the England rugby team visiting Christchurch after the September earthquake in 2011. They walked out onto the pitch and inspected the damage. The Lancaster Park turf was buckled and ruined, unsafe for any rugby let alone spectators in the cracked concrete stands.
Dashed were all the Rugby World Cup games for the garden city, and the Crusaders consigned to a temporary stadium with stands of scaffolding.
For over 10 years Christchurch has been in survival mode - repairing, rebuilding, and consigned to the backwater when it came to attracting world-class events.
There were a few music stars who understood and sympathised with our plight - The Foo Fighters, Bruce Springsteen and Phil Collins all came to Christchurch. But we had to go to Dunedin for the likes of Ed Sheeran, Pink and Elton John.
Dunedin's stadium is stunning, the concerts became a social event, and everyone was excited to be in town, full of the knowledge that the roof guaranteed a good night out, no matter what the weather.
So, what a relief Te Kaha - the Canterbury Multi-Use Arena - got the green light!
Make that the giant wave of Red and Black!
Such has been the debate about the new Christchurch stadium, it has attracted the attention of the whole country. Everyone it seemed wanted it built, but at what cost?
Ever since the Government released its blueprint, mapping out what the city would look like following the quakes, the stadium with a roof was always going to be the most contentious project and left till last.
I am very proud of what has been built - the new Convention Centre Te Pae, Tūranga the new central library, and the almost completed Metro Sports Centre with the return of a world-class 50-metre pool.
And I am happy to wait just a little bit longer for the state-of-the-art indoor stadium Te Kaha in the centre of the city, and a return to the good old days of a fun night out with my mates.
Well done Christchurch - you truly are a Super City.
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