RUGBY:THE RUGBY World Cup organisers released their revised schedule yesterday, dividing up the five games that should have been played in Christchurch to five existing venues. Dunedin gained two of the matches but gave away one game to Invercargill, while Nelson, Wellington and Auckland's North Harbour will host one extra game of the September 9th-October 23rd tournament.
Organisers had already switched two quarter-finals due to be played at Lancaster Park stadium in Christchurch, which suffered heavy damage after the city was devastated by an 6.3 magnitude earthquake last month, to Auckland’s Eden Park.
Pools B and C are the only two of the four affected by the changes. Australia will face Italy in their opening Pool C match on September 11th at the North Harbour Stadium, Auckland, and play their final group game at Trafalgar Park in Nelson against Russia on October 1st.
England and Argentina, who are seeded to advance from Pool B, will open their campaigns by facing each other in Dunedin on September 10th. England will play their second tie against Georgia in the same venue eight days later with Argentina’s third pool game against Scotland switching to Wellington on September 25th. To cater for the changes, Scotland’s September 14th clash with Georgia was switched from Dunedin to Invercargill.
The Otago Stadium, still under construction, was confirmed as a venue yesterday after organisers got guarantees it would be ready but they appeared hesitant. “We came to the view Dunedin could not have reasonably hosted Australia v Italy the day after hosting its first major match, England v Argentina,” tournament chief executive Martin Snedden said.
The changes has also led to teams switching their bases. Georgia will switch to Queenstown alongside Ireland, Romania and England with Australia spending four nights at Hammer Springs in North Canterbury, a new base.
Relocated matches
Switched from Christchurch
September 10th: Argentina v England, Dunedin (Pool B).
September 11th: Australia v Italy, North Harbour (Pool C).
September 18th: England v Georgia, Dunedin (Pool B).
September 25th: Argentina v Scotland, Wellington (Pool B).
October 1st: Australia v Russia, Nelson (Pool C).
Switched from Dunedin:
September 14th: Scotland v Georgia, Invercargill, (Pool B).
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