Dunedin demands big tests

The trust behind Dunedin's proposed new stadium is adamant the ground will be granted A-list status despite the fact initial plans don't meet capacity criteria.

The New Zealand Rugby Union's rules say any stadium wanting to host A-list games - either Tri Nations or Lions tests - must have 35,000 covered seats.

The Carisbrook Stadium Trust has announced innovative plans for a stadium with up to 32,000 seats but chief executive Malcolm Farry says that should not stop the new ground hosting premium games.

The trust is in negotiation with the NZRU and Farry believes the rules should be bent to reflect the fact the new stadium will offer a high percentage of premium seating that will enable the stadium to generate similar revenue to bigger grounds.

Farry said: "We will have a category A stadium. There would be no point in building a stadium of this nature and not being able to host the biggest games.

"We are suggesting that while we don't comply with the numbers, we are bringing a new dimension and that should always allow for some discretion.

"We are presuming that with clever design, premium seating will be everywhere."

The other key factor likely to help the stadium win A-status is that it will have a retractable roof. Jade Stadium and Carisbrook have struggled at times to sell out for winter tests, with the weather cited as a significant factor in keeping punters away.

Last year's Lions test in Christchurch was played in sub-zero temperatures and driving, icy rain, while this year, a few hundred tickets went unsold at Jade for the Bledisloe clash as the city and surrounding region were hit by heavy snow.

NZRU deputy chief executive Steve Tew says no decision on category status can be made until there is definitive detail.

"The important thing is that we are supportive of the work being done in Dunedin. We will look at any proposition that can give Dunedin test football," says Tew.

Farry says definitive plans will be some time away but the trust has confirmed the new stadium will be built on harbourside land behind the Dunedin College of Education on an area referred to as Awatea St.

The total cost has been estimated at between $150 million and $180m, with Farry believing that between $39m-$67m could be raised by selling 10-year seats and up to $30m raised by selling naming rights.