Rugby: Fight for tests will be hostile

North Harbour Stadium will likely be vying for All Black tests after the World Cup. Photo / Kenny Rodger

With almost $600m invested in World Cup stadium developments, the allocation of tests post-tournament is going to be a tense and divisive process.

By 2012 there will be six A-list stadia - Eden Park, North Harbour Stadium, Waikato Stadium, Westpac Stadium, AMI Stadium and the new build in Dunedin. There will also be several other high quality regional stadia such as Okara Park, McLean Park and Yarrow Stadium that have all paid for major construction work in the last five years.

They all want to host tests but the reality of life post World Cup will be the need to play more in Auckland and utilise the expanded and upgraded Eden Park.

Economic necessity is going to see Eden Park host more tests per season than it has in the past. Part of that necessity will be driven by the level of expenditure on the revamp - the Government has provided $190m of funding and will be aware of the public outcry if the nation's biggest and most expensive stadium is little used.

The New Zealand Rugby Union is also shifting away from its previous strategy of playing more tests offshore to generate cash. They have indicated they won't play Australia in the USA next year amid fears they no longer have the depth of playing resources to sustain their winning legacy across 15 tests a season.

That change of policy will put pressure on the NZRU to recuperate greater income from a smaller test programme, as will the predicted $10m debt for which the national union will be liable from hosting the World Cup.

Eden Park's 50,000 capacity will generate significantly more income than any other stadium.

"When you build a stadium that is significantly bigger and, while some may debate this, probably the best in the country, you can't have it sitting empty," said NZRU chief executive Steve Tew.

"By my calculations there will have been between $600m and $800m invested in stadiums across the country. That's a great legacy for rugby, for New Zealand and the local communities where these stadiums are.

"They all want to host test matches - that is not a new issue - but there are only so many games in the international programme."

Eden Park has been awarded two tests per season since 2005 with the exception of this year due to the redevelopment. It will continue to host a minimum of two tests per year from 2012 and could potentially be allocated more depending on how the international scheduling works out.

Argentina will enter the Tri Nations in 2012, which will give the All Blacks three home tests plus the obligatory three they must host in the June window.

AMI Stadium in Christchurch is believed to have a contractual agreement in place that guarantees at least one test per calendar year with Westpac Stadium in Wellington thought to have a similar deal.

Opportunities for Dunedin, Waikato Stadium and North Harbour Stadium will be limited, while life will be even tougher for the likes of New Plymouth, Napier and Whangarei.

The one hope they have is that Tew says talks are ongoing with the IRB about how the June window will look after the World Cup. He says he's hopeful that by 2012 visiting northern hemisphere nations will be persuaded to play mid-week games while in New Zealand.

Even that, though, will be of little consolation to Whangarei which has spent $16m on redeveloping Okara Park and can't be sure what action the ground will see after hosting two World Cup games.

Northland are a strong candidate to be relegated at the end of the year and have little hope of generating crowds for matches involving the three other teams relegated from the Premier Division and the two Heartland sides that come up.