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Where should NZ play their NZ pool games?

What cities should NZ play their pool games at?

  • Auckland

    Votes: 12 75.0%
  • Wellington

    Votes: 10 62.5%
  • Christchurch

    Votes: 8 50.0%
  • Dunedin

    Votes: 7 43.8%
  • Whangarei

    Votes: 1 6.3%
  • Rotarua

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Napier

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Hamilton

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Invercargill

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    16

PaulyTom

Juniors
Messages
1,075
It looks like New Zealand will host their 3 pool games in NZ.

You would imagine Wellington and Auckland would get 1 game each .

What are the options on the 3rd pool game?

Christchurch
Dunedin
Whangarei
Rotarua
Napier
Hamilton
Invercargill
 

Lockyer4President!

First Grade
Messages
7,975
How's Christchurch's stadium situation, I assume it'd be better to play in Dunedin's new stadium for the South Island game?
 

jargan83

Coach
Messages
14,883
The Crusaders in Rugby Union moved to Rugby LEague Park after the eathquake as Lancaster Park (Jade Stadium) had to close due to damage sustained.

Rugby LEague Park holds 18,000 according to it's wiki page.
 

PaulyTom

Juniors
Messages
1,075
Dunedin stadium is state of the art. Hopefully there is a big enough of an appetite for league there.
 

jim_57

Moderator
Staff member
Messages
4,290
Hard to say without knowing what the finals venues will look like. If the Final is in Australia:

Wellington (opener)
Dunedin
Out to tender (Vs lowest ranking opponent)
QF - Christchurch
SF - Eden Park

If the final is Eden Park
Eden Park (Opener)
Dunedin
Out to Tender (Vs lowest ranking opponent)
QF - Christchurch
SF - Wellington
Final - Eden Park
 

PaulyTom

Juniors
Messages
1,075
Then you would have to factor in some of the non - new zealand teams that playoff against each other.

If Samoa / Tonga or Fiji were in the same pool . Where those game would be held? For example if the NZ pool consisted of NZ , Samoa, Fiji and Scotland. Where would the Samoa vs Fiji, Fiji vs Scotland and Scotland vs Samoa be held?

Would the tournament play a double header in Wellington/ Auckland to kick the tournament off? And then look to a few other points in NZ to spread the Rugby League WC gospel to.
 

morningstar

Juniors
Messages
826
Auckland and Wellington should get the first two games against the strongest opponents. Hopefully they are thinking big and they open with NZ v Samoa at Eden Park.

I think Christchurch should get the third game. They were dudded with the trans tasman test in 2011 because of the earthquakes and the last high profile league game in 2010 got 21k in horrible conditions so the appetite is there. Canterbury Bulls are the current NZRL premiership champs as well. AMI Stadium is 18,000 in it's current configuration but temporary seats can be added to push that up to 25,000. The Warriors and Penrith are taking an NRL game there next year so that can be the litmus test.

Forsyth Barr is a great stadium, but the attendance was beaten by Whangarei in the four nations last year with a higher profile fixture. The students will have left by that time of year and the majority of the crowd will be coming from Christchurch and the West Coast anyway.

For the group games not involving NZ I'd be looking at Mt. Smart, Hamilton and Whangarei...it would be nice sentimentally to have a low profile game in Greymouth as well, not very practical though.
 

paulmac

Juniors
Messages
776
Hopefully NZ are grouped with Samoa,Tonga & Scotland.Then I would have the fixtures like this
NZ v Samoa Eden Park ( opening ceremony)
Tonga v Scotland Rotorua
NZ v Tonga Wellington
Samoa v Scotland Christchurch
NZ v Scotland Dunedin ( Dunedin has Scottish roots )
Samoa v Tonga Mt Smart ( large Polynesian community nearby)
 

PaulyTom

Juniors
Messages
1,075
I'm pretty certain NZ will get at least 1 Quarter Final and a Semi. So the total games in NZ should be 9 possibly 10.

I like the idea of playing Samoa vs Tonga at Mt Smart. I think there would be a huge turnout should NZ, Tonga and Samoa be pooled together.
 

Warrior@Heart

Juniors
Messages
829
Opener at Eden Park
2nd game at Christchurch Stadium
3rd game at Waikato Stadium
QF at Forsyth Barr
SF at Westpac Stadium
 

PaulyTom

Juniors
Messages
1,075
How many games will NZ get do you think?

You would think they would be a walk up start for 1 Semi / 1 Quarterfinal / All NZ group games = 5 games

Potentially some Fiji / Samoa or Tonga games would bode well given the large pacific island communities in NZ.
 

Hello, I'm The Doctor

First Grade
Messages
9,124
Dunedin is the obvious choice.

If it is only 3 games in NZ, id even be inclined to only give one to Auckland/Wellington and look into placing the 3rd somewhere else.
 

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