Christchurch must retain World Cup fixtures

[dougdew99]

I want to say that, what ever it takes, Christchurch should retain their World Cup fixtures... hopefully the governing bodies and fans will get behind the City to make this happen. I say this as a died in the wool Aussie supporter.

 

[waratahjesus]

agree, but and i hate to say it, rugby or any sport should not come before housing, utilities and basic comforts, if you were sending a troup of people over there to help out, they have to come before the world cup.

 

[Richo]

Amen, WJ.

 

[Tangawizi]

I want to say that, what ever it takes, Christchurch should retain their World Cup fixtures... hopefully the governing bodies and fans will get behind the City to make this happen. I say this as a died in the wool Aussie supporter.

I also hope they can keep the matches. The residents need something to look forward to and help take their minds off the horrors of the past week.

The accommodation I have booked for the opening weekend has come through pretty much unscathed but not sure how many other places around town can say the same.

It will be sobering walking down the mall and around the CBD with so much destruction still evident though.
At the very least, RWC will have to come up with an emergency plan to shift the games, possibly to Dunedin for the pool matches.

If, as terrible as it is to think about, another quake, or large aftershock hit in the next 6 months Christchurch simply could not host games.

 

[sevenpointdropgoal]

Dyed in the wool. "Died in the wool" could either be a 1945 detective novel, or the result of sending a sheep to slaughter without shearing it. (Anyone could have made that mistake... I only pointed it out so that I could use that shithouse anecdote)

Anyway, I agree to an extent, though WJ has a point when he says that the public's infrastructure needs must come first. Let us hope they can accommodate both.

 

[Nusadan]

I know it is unpalatable for many especially those in NZ, but have the games switched either to Sydney or Melbourne or both, it helps that two of the pool games have the Wallabies playing against the minnows which would still not matter too much, and ensure capacity crowds then...

This time, decisions have to be made by the organisers with their heads not their hearts, when financial and practical considerations are to be taken into account...the extra revenue generated can easily go into the reconstruction costs.

I have always been of a thought that the organisers have made a huge mistake to not to get over their resentment over losing the co-hosting privilieges for the 2003 RWC and thus not allow some games to be played in Australia...hence the projected losses for the coming RWC.

 

[Blue]

I know it is unpalatable for many especially those in NZ, but have the games switched either to Sydney or Melbourne or both, it helps that two of the pool games have the Wallabies playing against the minnows which would still not matter too much, and ensure capacity crowds then...

This time, decisions have to be made by the organisers with their heads not their hearts, when financial and practical considerations are to be taken into account...the extra revenue generated can easily go into the reconstruction costs.

I have always been of a thought that the organisers have made a huge mistake to not to get over their resentment over losing the co-hosting privilieges for the 2003 RWC and thus not allow some games to be played in Australia...hence the projected losses for the coming RWC.

Why?

They can move games to Auckland or Wellngton.

 

[Nusadan]

Why?

They can move games to Auckland or Wellngton.

Not sure of the exact schedule, but I would imagine moving games there when there are other games (some at least) on at around the same time would be a logistical/scheduling nightmare...

It's alot simpler to move all games from one city to another who has nothing else on at around at that time...

 

[Tangawizi]

I don't think they're too worried about the $$. This tournament is about National Pride for the Kiwis.

So I would think Dunedin will get the job for the Opening weekend matches before they gave them up to Australia. Brand spanking new stadium that can hold 30,000. Should pretty well cover it for the pool games.

And Quarter-Finals you'd think would go to Auckland if it comes to that.

 

[Blue]

Exactly. Why would they start worrying about the $ now?

This is not an opportunity for Australia to get in on the action. They need every tourist dollar they can possibly get.

 

[MajorlyRagerly]

I have been sitting waitin pretty much so for a week now for JON to come in with some sort of package which makes great sense for Australia to host a certain amount of matches - as of yet, it hasn't happened.

It if it does happen, I won't be surprised and I also won't be surpised to see/hear the IRB say they support it.

It'll piss me off no end though and I'm not even from Christchurch. I believe it would drive a wedge between trans tasman relations of which I don't actually think would recover for generations. Rightly or wrongly, it would be viewed as raping and pillaging from a fallen allie. It may well be that help is needed and offshore games are required - but I think it's up to Snedden and the RWC organising committee to make a judgement call and then ask for help. Not up to anybody else to offer.

 

[Tangawizi]

Sydney & Melbourne's stadiums will be booked up with other codes finals matches, not to mention all the restrictions RWC place around signage at the grounds and other sponsors agreements etc that would have to be resolved.

Just can not see any games being shifted to Oz so think we should stop dreaming about it.

 

[MrMouse]

I agree with the Major, Blue, Tangawizi even as an Aussie that the games need to be in NZ. I think like WJ and Richo most of us hope, within reason, that they can stay in/around Christchurch. I was there a year ago and it's a great city and great people.

But if they can't host, like absolutely, totally, definitively cannot (not BS IRB shit) then Dunedin it is. They should play in Invercargill before switching to Sydney or Melbourne.

That said, the RWC looks likely to flop big time from a crowds and $$ point of view, but that's down to organisers and the IRB - hosting the games is a national prerogative. I think Aussies should respect that, tbh.

 

[cyclopath]

Why?

They can move games to Auckland or Wellngton.

Do they have enough space in the schedule for this to happen?
It seems the best answer, but it isn't just a field and a date - they have to able to accommodate all the people too. I hope they can. Moving games offshore doesn't make any sense to me.

 

[MajorlyRagerly]

That said, the RWC looks likely to flop big time from a crowds and $$ point of view, but that's down to organisers and the IRB - hosting the games is a national prerogative. I think Aussies should respect that, tbh.

How do you come up with that? Everything I've read says tickets are selling pretty well

 

[MrMouse]

I regularly pull things out of my arse. Last I had heard, ticket sales were flagging well behind original expectations, accommodation was difficult and overpriced, and overseas visitor number projections were way down.

I admit I haven't been following it closely - if that's all changed, great.

 

[waratahjesus]

my mrs is a travel writer, tickets are very dissapointing, tourism is dissapointing. they priced themselves out of the market especially to aussies with stupid hotel and flight prices way before they knew the actual interest. she writes for a cruise magazine, there are a couple of cruises departing here and becoming like floating hotels, reckon if they can keep the games in chritschurch they may be adding another boat to cope if they can.

 

[JJJ]

I say let them have all of it, even if it's a flop. It's almost certainly the last RWC NZ will have. It should've gone to Japan really, but since it didn't we might as well get full value for the mistake by letting it be as big a mistake as possible.

 

[MrMouse]

I say let them have all of it, even if it's a flop. It's almost certainly the last RWC NZ will have. It should've gone to Japan really, but since it didn't we might as well get full value for the mistake by letting it be as big a mistake as possible.

Not sure that's quite in the spirit of the thread TripJ...

 

[Muttonbird]

I say let them have all of it, even if it's a flop. It's almost certainly the last RWC NZ will have. It should've gone to Japan really, but since it didn't we might as well get full value for the mistake by letting it be as big a mistake as possible.

What on earth for? Japan has failed miserabley in growing the game and I think an RWC in Japan will be an awful anticlimax with poor atmosphere in the early part of the tournament with 99% of locals being rent-a-crowd.

Your miserable trolling has been noted.