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29 March 2024

Quake-hit Christchurch loses World Cup games

All Blacks will play just four Tri-Nations matches before the September 9 to October 23 World Cup. (GETTY)

Published
By Agencies

Earthquake-devastated Christchurch was Wednesday stripped of all its 2011 Rugby World Cup matches with its quarter-final moved to Auckland.

“It is with sincere regret that I have to announce that the stakeholders have agreed that all the 2011 Rugby World Cup games scheduled to be played through Christchurch are to be moved,” Rugby World Cup Minister Murray McCully said.
The city’s stadium and pitch were badly damaged by the 6.3-magnitude quake that hit on February 22, leaving up to 200 people dead.
No decision has been made yet on where the group matches will be played but Eden Park in Auckland will host the quarter-final scheduled for Christchurch.
“Eden Park was the only logical alternative to stage two of the tournament’s premier matches given the ground capacity and visitor accommodation demands associated with these quarter-final matches,” said Rugby New Zealand chief Martin Snedden.
“We are working hard to ensure as many pool matches as reasonably possible remain in the South Island.”
International Rugby Board Chairman Bernard Lapasset, who made the announcement alongside McCully in Christchurch, said the stadium operators could not guarantee that the extensive repairs could be made in time.
“That information means that tournament partners have been left with no choice but to make the difficult decision to reallocate the seven matches due to be played in Christchurch,” he said.
Meanwhile, the All Blacks will play an additional rugby Test match against an unconfirmed opponent before the Tri-Nations tournament begins as they prepare for the World Cup, the New Zealand Rugby Union said on Wednesday.        
The match will also be used to raise funds for rebuilding projects in Christchurch.
The All Blacks will play just four Tri-Nations matches before the September 9 to October 23 World Cup due to the extended Super rugby competition and coach Graham Henry said the selection panel had been considering an additional fixture before the earthquake struck.  
“We came back from the overseas tour and had a couple of meetings at the beginning of the year and thought there was too big a gap between the end of the Super 15 and the start of the Tri-Nations,” Henry told reporters in a humid and overcast Wellington. “So we were looking at that opportunity (to play).
Henry said he was unsure of an opponent, but the July 22 match - three weeks after the Super rugby final and eight days before the All Blacks’ first Tri-Nations clash against South Africa in Wellington - would be played in New Zealand.               
The All Blacks finish their Tri-Nations campaign against Australia in Brisbane on August 27 before they open the World Cup in New Zealand against Tonga at Eden Park on September 9.      
Henry said he had been watching the Six Nations tournament in Europe and had been impressed by the form of England, who could clinch their first Six Nations title since 2003 this weekend with victory against Ireland in Dublin.            
“I think England are developing into a pretty powerful unit and I think they’ll be very competitive come World Cup time,” Henry added.     
“They’re the best of them at the moment but they’ve all got the potential to play well.”