World Cup 2011 - Stadia

[Timbo]

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/ar...ectid=10671090

Quake: Stadium suffers minor damage

Christchurch's AMI Stadium has suffered only minor damage in this morning's quake, Rugby NZ 2011 chief executive Martin Snedden says.

"The very preliminary assessment is that there's no structural damage there, that there's a heap of minor breakages and what not, but no structural damage," Mr Snedden told NZPA.

"They tell me they're going to start a proper assessment process on Monday about that, but they say there's nothing they can see with their eyes at the moment."

Mr Snedden said the quake had come just days after Rugby NZ 2011 had looked specifically at how such a situation would be handled if it were to arise during the tournament.

"Last week the group that is responsible for dealing with this type of occurrence had actually run a three-day exercise just dealing with something major and just working through what would happen in these circumstances, so it's certainly something that had already been on our radar in terms of preparing for eventualities and an earthquake's an obvious one," he said.

"It's just a reminder that it's just not theory, it actually can happen, and that will no doubt focus us even further."

You have to wonder how it's going after the events of today. (NB - The above article refers to last years quake and was written at that time).

[hot_dogma]

Wasn't the epicentre to the south-east which is the direction of the stadium from the city?

[IanRitchie]

i guess if it had collapsed we'd already have countless images of it.

or so i hope.

[BDGS]

So disappointed. Thought this thread was about the world cup, instead it's about the yawnion world cup.

Prepare to have your insomnia problems fixed New Zealand, now to switch attention towards an interesting world cup in the sub continent. Holland made almost 300 against England, now that's a world cup, the minnow teams actually doing well unlike what you will see from the yawnion world cup.

[IanRitchie]

So disappointed. Thought this thread was about the world cup, instead it's about the yawnion world cup.

Prepare to have your insomnia problems fixed New Zealand, now to switch attention towards an interesting world cup in the sub continent. Holland made almost 300 against England, now that's a world cup, the minnow teams actually doing well unlike what you will see from the yawnion world cup.

hi champ,

normally i'd approve of your post 100%, but a huge part of comedy is timing. you're 24 hours too slow.

ian

[IanRitchie]

although now that it seems the stadium pulled up alright, back to hating union.

[Boba Fett]

So disappointed. Thought this thread was about the world cup, instead it's about the yawnion world cup.

Prepare to have your insomnia problems fixed New Zealand, now to switch attention towards an interesting world cup in the sub continent. Holland made almost 300 against England, now that's a world cup, the minnow teams actually doing well unlike what you will see from the yawnion world cup.

Minnow teams doing well?!? Aus beat Zim by 91 runs, NZ (!) thrashed Kenya in 8 overs, India belted Bangladesh by 87 runs and Sri Lanka beath Canada by 210 runs. That's your idea of minnow teams doing well????? The England/Holland game only served evidence on how appaling England is at the moment. I'd just about classify them as one of the minnows...

[Timbo]

Back on track, please?

Playing field is apparently a mess. The ground liquified. Likely the entire Super Rugby season will miss out, and possibly the World Cup matches.

[Egan]

A director of Christchurch Rugby has also passed away...

Really hope that they are able to get at least one World Cup match.

[crabs]

Yep, doesn't look but is way down on the totem pole of Christchurch's problems right now. These stories from the NZ Herald.

Christchurch quake: Crusaders could be looking for new home

There are genuine fears that the Crusaders will have to find a new home for the remainder of Super Rugby season.

Liquefaction has caused major damage to the playing surface with bubbles of up to half a metre high surfacing all over the AMI Stadium playing field, Newstalk ZB reports.

Reports are that the ground looks more like a ski field than that used for rugby. The ground itself is in lock down, meaning it cannot be thoroughly assessed.

Crusaders chief executive Hamish Riach revealed earlier today that one of their board members has been killed in the disaster.

Riach says they've now got to decide whether to go ahead with Saturday's Super Rugby match against the Hurricanes in Wellington.

The Crusaders are due to play their first home game of the season against the Waratahs on March 4.

However it's understood it could take at least five and a half months before it's capable of hosting a game of rugby.

AMI Stadium is scheduled to host five pool matches and two quarterfinals during the Rugby World Cup which kicks off less than 200 days away.

Christchurch quake: World Cup games in doubt

Five World Cup games and two quarterfinals scheduled for Christchurch are in jeopardy after yesterday's big quake.

The seven matches are due to be played at AMI Stadium in September and early October, but officials may have to reallocate them because of the damage to hotels, restaurants, roads and other infrastructure throughout the Christchurch area.

The Wallabies and their Christchurch-born coach, Robbie Deans, are due to be based in the city where they will play pool games against Italy and Russia.

England and Argentina are both scheduled to play two games at the stadium.

Christchurch is also due to host two quarterfinals on the weekend of October 8, with the All Blacks set to play on the Sunday if they finish top of their pool against Tonga, Japan, Canada and France.

Cup organisers said yesterday that it was too soon to consider the implications for the tournament.

"It is way too early to be thinking about what this means for the World Cup," said Mike Jaspers, communications manager for the event.

"We are just thinking about friends, relatives and all the people who have been affected by this."

Hospitality Association of New Zealand chief executive Bruce Robertson said it was far too early for speculation less than 24 hours after the quake struck. "It is not even on anyone's horizon yet."

The New Zealand Rugby Union had difficulty contacting officials at the Canterbury Rugby Union or Crusaders staff and said they had no reports of any problems with the city's rugby stadium.

The rejuvenated AMI stadium opened in January last year. It was playing host to the US-NZ 2011 Partnership Forum when the quake struck. All delegates were reported safe.

A US group of 43 government, business and community leaders was attending the forum, which began on Monday and was due to end last night.

A Rugby World Cup fan zone has been planned for Cathedral Square.

[Egan]

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000142 ... 24198.html

Wall Street Journal is saying that concrete has cracked underneath the stands...

So they will probably need engineers in.

[Egan]

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/supe ... canes-game

Super 14 games to be held in Dunedin, Nelson and Wellington apparently.

[Timbo]

This evenings announcement seemed to indicate Nelson would be the likely home of the Crusaders this season.

[hot_dogma]

This evenings announcement seemed to indicate Nelson would be the likely home of the Crusaders this season.

Has anyone been to Trafalgar Park?

[Jeffles]

I saw it on an NPC telecast last year. Looks good with the new stands.