Rugby League: Test venue switch

By Peter Jessup

The New Zealand Rugby League has moved its Auckland test venue preference from North Harbour Stadium to Ericsson Stadium as it continues to try to rebuild bridges in the game.

Chairman Gerald Ryan said the chief reason for picking Ericsson Stadium as the site of the Tri-Series game against Great Britain was to align with the Warriors.

Next year's Anzac test may be the first international played in Wellington's new stadium if it is completed and can offer financial guarantees, otherwise it will be at Ericsson Stadium again.

Ryan bit back at suggestions from Australian Rugby Union chief John O'Neill that rugby would buy out league within 20 years, saying the IRB would need a lot more zeroes than the $100 million O'Neill suggested would do.

The next meeting of the new International Rugby League Federation will be in Auckland during the Tri-Series, with the 22 countries to be represented giving the lie to O'Neill's inference that league was not a global game.

The NZRL, Auckland and provincial leagues are still in discussion about the shape and format of a new national provincial competition but a decision is likely soon in order to allow proper planning for 2000.

Most likely seems a 12-team competition with eight sides from Auckland - though some want six.

There is still much discussion about whether one of the Auckland teams should be all Warriors colts and scholarship players or whether the competition would be better served by distributing the up-and-coming Warriors around the teams.

The club is still determining its "reserve-grade" programme for 2000.