Super Round: Why Auckland should host Super Rugby’s big event at Eden Park - Editorial
Super Rugby fans cheer on the action in Christchurch. Photo / Photosport
Plenty of Aucklanders’ tax dollars have gone into rebuilding Christchurch since the awful earthquakes a decade and a half ago. Last weekend’s Super Round of Super Rugby showcased some of the results of that rebuild.
On first evidence, the fabulous new stadium, Te Kaha, looks as though it will serve its community well. The feedback from attendees over the three days of the event was overwhelmingly positive. From Friday to Sunday, more than 73,000 fans watched the matches live at the venue, while the buzz boosted the television audience for what could normally have been a drab round of Super Rugby.
It’s understood that Super Rugby bosses will talk to Christchurch about hosting rights for next year’s event before giving other venues a shot at pitching to host.
Auckland should elbow aside our southern cousins and claim the event. We need it more.
Blues CEO Karl Budge, who impressed for many years as impresario of Auckland’s summer tennis events, this week floated the idea of Eden Park hosting Super Round. The idea has merit, though any meaningful proposal would need the involvement of Eden Park and Tātaki Auckland Unlimited, the council’s events operation.
When the Wellington Sevens was at its peak, it brought a roaring show to the capital city; in Auckland the short-lived NRL Nines competition showed how effective a multi-day oval-ball event can be.
Auckland needs to get on the Super Rugby ride while it still has energy.
We are, as a nation, invested in Christchurch’s rebuild. But with so much public spending on infrastructure, the southern centre has dodged much of the economic malaise under which the rest of the country struggles.
A change of venue would be great for the Super Round event, keeping the destination fresh and exciting for fans and teams.
Auckland remains the financial powerhouse of New Zealand, and it could do with a shot in the arm of its own. When Auckland’s economy is strong, the economic activities courses through the arteries of the nation.
Auckland’s leadership should be unsentimental about poaching the Super Round and bringing it to the sunshine.