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Christchurch snubbed again by the All Blacks

By RugbyPass
1 in 9 people on the planet follow rugby according to the survey

The town that hosted the first ever game of rugby in New Zealand has been granted a test match next year, while the largest city in the South Island has missed out for a second year in a row.

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Nelson will be the venue for the All Blacks vs Pumas match next September, with Trafalgar Park to be upgraded from its current capacity of 7,000 to around 21,000. It will easily be the largest rugby match held in the city since 2011, when it hosted three Rugby World Cup pool matches.

However, the news is not so good for the home of the current Super Rugby champions. Christchurch, once a mainstay on the All Blacks’ home venues, will not host a match at the temporary AMI Stadium.

The ground was constructed to be a short term replacement for Lancaster Park, which was irreversibly damaged in the 2011 Christchurch earthquake.

A spokesperson for the Canterbury Rugby Football Union said:

“This is disappointing news for Canterbury rugby fans.  We understand that there are clear criteria for awarding All Black games, we need to accept that we no longer meet that criteria with the current facilities and infrastructure – that is just the reality we now face.”

Nelson is credited with being the venue of the first organised rugby union match in New Zealand, between the Nelson club and Nelson College in 1870. It will be the first time the All Blacks have played there.

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All Blacks 2018 home schedule

June tests

v France at Eden Park in Auckland, June 9

v France at Westpac Stadium in Wellington, June 16

v France at Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin, June 23

The Rugby Championship

v Australia at Eden Park in Auckland, August 25

v Argentina at Trafalgar Park in Nelson, September 8

v South Africa at Westpac Stadium in Wellington, September 15

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Bull Shark 19 minutes ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

Of the rugby I’ve born witness to in my lifetime - 1990 to date - I recognize great players throughout those years. But I have no doubt the game and the players are on average better today. So I doubt going back further is going to prove me wrong. The technical components of the game, set pieces, scrums, kicks, kicks at goal. And in general tactics employed are far more efficient, accurate and polished. Professional athletes that have invested countless hours on being accurate. There is one nation though that may be fairly competitive in any era - and that for me is the all blacks. And New Zealand players in general. NZ produces startling athletes who have fantastic ball skills. And then the odd phenomenon like Lomu. Mcaw. Carter. Better than comparing players and teams across eras - I’ve often had this thought - that it would be very interesting to have a version of the game that is closer to its original form. What would the game look like today if the rules were rolled back. Not rules that promote safety obviously - but rules like: - a try being worth 1 point and conversion 2 points. Hence the term “try”. Earning a try at goals. Would we see more attacking play? - no lifting in the lineouts. - rucks and break down laws in general. They looked like wrestling matches in bygone eras. I wonder what a game applying 1995 rules would look like with modern players. It may be a daft exercise, but it would make for an interesting spectacle celebrating “purer” forms of the game that roll back the rules dramatically. I’d love to see an exhibition match like that.

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