Christchurch faces a massive public liability insurance headache if it is to retain its Rugby World Cup matches.
There is busy behind-the-scenes activity to help the quake-ravaged city keep its hosting rights but AMI Stadium will have an uphill battle to meet insurance clearances.
While Christchurch mayor Bob Parker has stated the stadium is in good enough condition to host cup games, engineers using laser equipment will visit this week to make a more scientific assessment of damage. Their findings will determine the repairs needed to secure the public liability insurance required to host cup games. Significantly, their report will also strongly influence whether insurers are willing to back the stadium again, and at what cost.
Insurance experts told the Sunday Star-Times that even if the stadium is cleared, a large hike was “inevitable”.
RWC minister Murray McCully, who visited AMI Stadium to inspect damage first hand on Thursday, said it was only once the engineers’ report was received that work could begin on other dilemmas such as accommodation and infra-structure.
The final decision will be made by Rugby World Cup Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of the IRB. Its chief executive Mike Miller has been on the phone from Dublin to McCully seeking damage updates.
McCully would not comment on those talks but said: “No one is looking for excuses to shift.”
England, which along with Australia is scheduled to spend most of the tournament based in Christchurch, is believed to have already registered its concerns for players and fans with the IRB who released a statement yesterday calling for patience. It wouldn’t comment on speculation five pool games would still be played in Christchurch but the more commercially valuable two quarter-finals could be moved.
Source : Sunday Star Times
