Christchurch RWC Dream Falters

[Burgs]

Christchurch RWC Dream Falters

AN ENGINEERS' report due out in the coming days will dictate whether World Cup games will played in Christchurch.
But even if it is given the all-clear, the city looks set to face a massive public liability insurance headache following the devastating earthquake there.
AMI Stadium – which is scheduled to host seven Cup games, including two quarter-finals – suffered structural damage to at least two stands and significant liquefaction to the playing area and surrounding precinct during the 6.3-magnitude quake.
The stadium's management, Vbase, said the results of the assessment would be made public this week or early next week.
"It's important to do the detailed work, so we are dealing with facts rather than speculation," its chief executive Bryan Pearson told the New Zealand Herald.
As well as determining the extent of the damage, the report will also highlight what repairs are needed to secure the public liability insurance required, whether insurers are willing to back the stadium and at what cost.
It is believed even if it is cleared, a large price hike would be inevitable.
New Zealand Prime Minster John Key said the International Rugby Board would ultimately decide if the city would retain its games. Under the hosting agreement, the IRB has the right to do so without consultation.
However, Key said if the stadium could be repaired in time, most of the problem would be solved.
"Yes, we need to deal with accommodation issues and we need to deal with bars and restaurants and the like – I think we can address those issues," he said. "But we can't do that unless we have a stadium that gets the tick-off."
The idea of using cruise ships as temporary accommodation is currently being considered.
Key said there would not be a clear answer for a couple of weeks. AMI Stadium remains closed until March 15.
Christchurch is set to be the base for both England and Australia during rugby's showpiece event.
The Poms have expressed concerns about safety of players and fans, but the Wallabies said there was no plan to change the team's base at this stage

RugbyEnews.com

[jargan83]

Quake-ravaged Christchurch will lose its Rugby World Cup hosting rights on the back of a new report showing the city's stadium is unfit for games, British media is reporting.

London's Daily Telegraph newspaper says it has confirmation from a senior International Rugby Board (IRB) source that the engineers' structural report will end the city's hosting chances.

Christchurch was set to host two quarter-finals and five group stage games in the competition.

However, the 6.3-magnitude quake that struck on February 22 destroyed much of the CBD, where hundreds of fans were to be accommodated, and damaged AMI Stadium's stands and grounds.

About 180 people were killed in the disaster.

New Zealand Prime Minister John Key and Christchurch Mayor Bob Parker have both been actively fighting to keep the games in the city, saying the town was safe despite aftershocks.

But the Telegraph online said on Tuesday that the report on the state of the stadium was "bleak" and showed it "will not be fit for purpose in time for the start of the tournament in September".

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2...rt&section=all

[Weebie]

Confirmed today.

[tragic]

Well, that's really a shame
Not really a a big thing relative to everything else that Christchurch folk have suffered, but it must be tough to take, anyway.