England and Argentina to play in Christchurch

Dec 3 • Europe, General News, International, New Zealand, World Rugby • 5003 Views • Comments Off on England and Argentina to play in Christchurch

Christchurch will host two internationals in the next two years, with NZ Rugby announcing that England will play the Crusaders at AMI Stadium next year, and the All Blacks will play Argentina there in 2015.

Crusaders CEO Hamish Riach says this is brilliant news for local rugby fans.

“We may not have the biggest stadium in the country at the moment, but what we do still have is the best fans. I am thrilled that they will have the opportunity to see teams of the calibre of England and Argentina play here in the next two years,” Mr Riach said.

“As the next Rugby World Cup hosts, England will no doubt be aiming to make a big impact when they travel here for the 2014 Steinlager Series. It is appropriate that Christchurch, with its English heritage, will host the team here and it is a fantastic opportunity for the Crusaders to pit themselves against an international team.

“The Argentinean team always brings an air of excitement and celebration with it, so we look forward to Christchurch rugby fans embracing that and creating a real party atmosphere when they take on the All Blacks at AMI Stadium in 2015. This is one of only two test matches in New Zealand in 2015 because the season will be truncated for the Rugby World Cup later that year, so we are grateful to NZ Rugby for agreeing to bring one of them to Christchurch,” Mr Riach said.

Crusaders Head Coach Todd Blackadder said the chance to play England during the June test window is not only perfect preparation for the Crusaders but will also provide an awesome spectacle for fans.

“For us, this essentially means that all Crusaders will be preparing to topple England in the test window, whether they’re involved in the All Blacks or not. So all of our players will be training at test level intensity during the June window, which is a real advantage for us,” Blackadder said.

“For fans, this will be brilliant rugby to watch. The Crusaders will go into that match with the determination and belief that they can beat England, and I know that is something that Crusaders fans would love to see!”

The Crusaders are adding a preferential right to buy tickets for the Crusaders vs England game to their 2014 season tickets, which go on sale on 9 December.