100 days to World Cup: Final pieces falling into place

Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin. Photo / Supplied

Dunedin's answer to a decrepit Carisbrook will meet its completion deadline a month before the Rugby World Cup, but it will have just a handful of games to sort out teething problems.

While a redeveloped Eden Park has had since November to sort out its issues, Dunedin's $198.3 million Forsyth Barr Stadium, which will be known as Stadium Otago for the duration of the World Cup, will have little more than a month and a few provincial rugby matches to get things right.

Carisbrook is still Dunedin's "safety net" if the new venue does not come up to scratch, but Carisbrook Stadium Trust chairman Malcolm Farry is confident the 30,500-seat stadium at the north end of the city will be ready.

"If you walked in there now you'd think it was finished. It really will absolutely blow people away but there are just a few more things we have to do," he said.

Construction of the stadium - which has fixed 37m-high UV-transmitting ETFE (ethylene tetrafluoroethylene) roofing and offers better views, food and toilets than its creaky predecessor - started in June 2009.

The stadium's interior is nearly finished and its turf is growing "superbly".

Work on its east and west stands and its corporate suites is all that remains to be done.

Five days after the August 1 handover to the Dunedin City Council, North Otago and West Coast will play the first match at the stadium before Otago host Manawatu on August 17.

Mr Farry said the games should provide a good indication of the stadium's readiness for its quota of World Cup matches, beginning with England against Argentina on September 10.

Rugby New Zealand 2011 chief executive Martin Snedden said with the loss of Christchurch's AMI Stadium, Dunedin "has become an even more important" venue.

"They have hit every single milestone in their construction process. It's absolutely on track to be handed over on August 1," he said.

"The roof was the trickiest part of the whole project and has come through really well. The second thing was whether the grass would grow and there hasn't been the slightest issue."

An artificial nylon substance has been injected into the surface. The natural grass roots wrap around the nylon, toughening the turf and reducing the chances of the quality of footing becoming compromised during the tournament.

Meanwhile, Eden Park's general manager of sales and marketing, Tracy Morgan, said a "significant amount" of work was required at the redeveloped ground with 12,000 temporary seats needed for the tournament.

It will also need temporary facilities such as toilets and food and beverage outlets. Ms Morgan said a large media contingent was expected so facilities would have to be "seriously augmented" ahead of the tournament.

Ground staff had an extensive lead-in period over the past year to trial things like the timing of the gates opening, crowd size and the duration of the events.

There had been significant improvements in areas such as the enforcement of the liquor ban around the venue and monitoring patrons as they arrived for levels of intoxication.

"We have worked closely with our security provider, the police and our venue hirers to ensure we have a co-ordinated approach to minimising the risks of poor behaviour, but to also be able to deal appropriately should issues occur," she said.

Stadium Taranaki and North Harbour Stadium were last year of concern to Mr Snedden, but are near completion.

Northland Events Centre, Whangarei

* Capacity: 20,000
* Matches: 2
- Tonga v Canada, Sep 14
- Tonga v Japan, Sep 21

North Harbour Stadium, Auckland

* Capacity: 30,000
* Matches: 4
- France v Japan, Sep 10
- Australia v Italy, Sep 11
- South Africa v Namibia, Sep 22
- South Africa v Samoa, Sep 30

Eden Park, Auckland

* Capacity: 60,000
* Matches: 11
- New Zealand v Tonga (opening match), Sep 9
- Australia v Ireland, Sep 17
- New Zealand v France, Sep 24
- Fiji v Samoa, Sep 25
- England v Scotland, Oct 1
- Quarterfinal 2, Oct 8
- Quarterfinal 4, Oct 9
- Semifinal 1, Oct 15
- Semifinal 2, Oct 16
- Bronze Final, Oct 21
- Final, October 23

Waikato Stadium, Hamilton

* Capacity: 30,000
* Matches: 3
- New Zealand v Japan, Sep 16
- Wales v Samoa, Sep 18
- Wales v Fiji, Oct 2

Rotorua Stadium, Rotorua

* Capacity: 26,000
* Matches: 3
- Fiji v Namibia, Sep 10
- Samoa v Namibia, Sep 14
- Ireland v Russia, Sep 25

Stadium Taranaki,New Plymouth

* Capacity: 26,000
* Matches: 3
- Ireland v USA, Sep 11
- Russia v USA, Sep 15
- Wales v Namibia, Sep 26

McLean Park, Napier

* Capacity: 15,000
* Matches: 2

- France v Canada, Sep 18
- Canada v Japan, Sep 27

Arena Manawatu, Palmerston North

* Capacity: 18,000
* Matches: 2
- Georgia v Romania, Sep 28
- Argentina v Georgia, Oct 2

Wellington Stadium, Wellington

* Capacity:40,000
* Matches:8
- South Africa v Wales, Sep 11
- South Africa v Fiji, Sep 17
- Australia v USA, Sep 23
- Argentina v Scotland, Sep 25
- France v Tonga, Oct 1
- New Zealand v Canada, Oct 2
- Quarterfinal 1, Oct 8
- Quarterfinal 3, Oct 9

Trafalgar Park, Nelson

* Capacity: 20,000
* Matches: 3
- Italy v Russia, Sep 20
- Italy v USA, Sep 27
- Australia v Russia, Oct 1

Rugby Park, Invercargill

* Capacity: 16,500
* Matches: 3
- Scotland v Romania, Sep 10
- Scotland v Georgia, Sep 14
- Argentina v Romania, Sep 17