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Auckland's Eden Park will host both semifinals and the final of the 2011 Rugby World Cup, it was confirmed today.
Rugby New Zealand 2011 Ltd chief executive Martin Snedden said logistical and financial considerations meant it was just not feasible for semifinal matches to be played in Christchurch or Wellington.
With organisers expecting a loss of at least $30 million for staging the tournament - and with ticket sales the only source of revenue to offset anticipated running costs of $310 million - Eden Park's superior capacity clearly outweighs the claims of Wellington and Christchurch, a fact both cities appear to have acknowledged.
Once Eden Park's $190 million refurbishment is complete, the stadium will seat 62,000 spectators, about 20,000 more than Westpac Stadium in Wellington while Christchurch's AMI Stadium may squeeze in 45,000 after its redevelopment.
Snedden today said the additional revenue from those extra seats, coupled with the logistical challenges of moving 30,000 people around the country in the space of a day, made Eden Park the "obvious venue".
"Once you get further into project and you realise some of the logistical and financial challenges, it becomes pretty clear that as long as the redevelopment of Eden Park goes ahead on time, it's the obvious venue to host both the final and the semifinals," Snedden told Radio New Zealand today.
He said the semifinals would be played on consecutive days, with approximately 35,000 overseas fans holding tickets to both matches.
"We've been through the logistical exercise - you just can't possibly shift that number of people around and be sure they'd make it.
"The risk is too high and you just can't take risks in this type of project," Snedden said.
He said more tickets would be available for New Zealanders if the semifinals and final were held at Eden Park.
"The bigger the stadium you play in, the more tickets there are available to New Zealanders, so that's a pretty compelling reason as well."
However, Snedden acknowledged that ticket prices at the business end of the tournament would be pricey.
"We're probably a year away from setting prices, but if you look at France as a guide, tickets there started at 100 euros ($200) and went up as high as maybe 800 euros.
"I don't know if we'll end up that high, but I do know they're going to be far more expensive than what we've seen previously."
Bryan Pearson, chief executive of AMI Stadium administrator Vbase, said they had now set their sights on landing two quarterfinals and a pool match for AMI Stadium, which is undergoing a $60 million revamp.
- NZPA
