Rotorua to miss out on Chiefs' Super 14 games

Rotorua has again been snubbed by the Chiefs with all the team's home games in next year's Super 14 competition being played in Hamilton and Tauranga.

It was revealed Rotorua will not play host to any of the seven home games. While the news is a major disappointment to rugby supporters event organisers have vowed this isn't the end of rugby in the city.

They are hopeful Rotorua's International Stadium will host the team's only home pre- season game. Rotorua should know by the end of the week whether it has scored the game against the Hurricanes on February 2.

Six of the seven home games will be held at Hamilton's Waikato Stadium, with the other home game going to Mt Maunganui's Blue Chip Stadium at Easter.

Chiefs boss Gary Dawson said Rotorua missed out simply because Mt Maunganui put up a better case.

Mr Dawson said several things led to Blue Chip Stadium winning the game - "they have the proven record, they have more seats, they put in an attractive offer".

Blue Chip Stadium said it would have 8000 covered seats in place for the game - about 2500 more than Rotorua. The stadium also has newly installed lights.

The NPC games it hosted had proven the stadium's ability to host games and attract good crowds.

Rotorua last hosted a Super 12 game in 2003 but had a pre-season game this year. It will be Tauranga's first Chiefs game in five years.

Event Venues general manager Peter McLeod said it was disappointing that Rotorua didn't attract a game.

Mr McLeod thought Rotorua's successful hosting of the Lions game would have had a huge effect on the city getting another game.

He believes the decision to have the Easter match outside Hamilton did Rotorua no favours.

"Last year at Easter our accommodation was full to such an extent we had to send people to Taupo. [The board] indicated Easter weekend counted against us."

Mr McLeod said he had informal talks with the Rotorua District Council about underwriting a game but it "doesn't make economic sense" to do so at a time when Rotorua was already so busy.

"We did sharpen our pencils on the costs to make our offer attractive."

He said the city's poor crowd attendance record did count against Rotorua and it was up to the public to turn out for the rugby games held in Rotorua so there was a better chance of getting more in the future.

"The public need to do their bit. Winning the games is only half the battle, the war is in getting them back on a regular occasion."

To lure games away from Hamilton, Rotorua would need a bigger crowd than those at the Hamilton games to get a similar revenue. Mr McLeod said Hamilton had more grandstand seating, which fetched a higher priced ticket.

- DAILY POST (ROTORUA)