All Blacks may never play at AMI - the end of Lancaster Park as an international sports facility...

All Blacks may never play at AMI Stadium again - shocking revelation...

The New Zealand Rugby Union has conceded that the All Blacks may never play at Christchurch's AMI Stadium again.



Earthquake damage to the ground on 22 February meant the city's World Cup games were transferred elsewhere while the Crusaders had to play all their Super 15 matches away from the city.



NZRU chief executive Steve Tew says what will happen to the ground, which opened in 1881 as Lancaster Park and hosted its first All Blacks test in 1913, will be up to the Christchurch community and the government.



Mr Tew says the NZRU's considering re-developing Rugby Park and Rugby League Park in Christchurch but says the Crusaders may again have to play all of of their Super rugby matches outside of Christchurch next year as well.



He says they simply don't know what the future holds for the ground with the possibility it could be back operating again next year to never at all.



Mr Tew says they have an All Blacks test pencilled in for Christchurch next year but an alternative venue is also being arranged.



He says the venue is being regularly assessed in the wake of aftershocks.

KR: This  revelation really shocked me, somebody born in Christchurch and brought up following rugby and cricket on the historical Lancaster Park. I competed on this park as a schoolboy and, in my latter years,  have learned that it may be the end of this ground as an international sports  facility. So very sad. Nature can be so very cruel!





Acknowledgements:  © 2011, Radio New Zealand

An award for a rising sportsman...

An award for a rising sportsman...

First published at Qondio: Awards writing challenge

I read this mornings Dominion Post newspaper here in Lower Hutt, Wellington.

There was a pull-out supplement for local regional secondary school elite sports achievers in the various summer and winter code categories.

I was sitting in the waiting room at the local tyre shop waiting for a replacement tyre to be put on our car to get a new warrant of fitness. I was thumbing through the paper at the shop when I came to the athletics section and surprisingly saw one of my grandsons nominated for the awards.

If he is successful it would be a great achievement considering he is only 14 years old and competes against older boys.

He competed this summer in javelin and shot-putting; winning the former event against older boys in the Under 16 years grade. His nomination is a feather in his cap even if he fails to be selected this year. An award is waiting around the corner if he sticks with his sports. A champion in the making if he persists in his chosen field.