DIEHARD
29-11-05, 04:04 PM
New Zealand plans to use its new found power to push for a blockbuster opening to its Tri Nations defence on home soil next year.
The Kiwis want to cash in their huge upset win over Australia in the Elland Road final at the weekend and are already plotting a replay against the Kangaroos next year to kick off the Tri Nations tournament with a bang.
New Zealand Rugby League chairman Selwyn Pearson is keen to see the re-match played at the 50,000-seat Eden Park and he is supremely confident it would be a sellout.
The game would give the Tri Nations a huge kick-off given New Zealand embarrassed Australia 24-0 at Elland Road to end the Kangaroo's 27-year streak of not having been beaten in a series since losing to France in 1978.
The Kiwis continued their victory celebrations into a second day with weary players wandering around the foyer of the team's Leeds hotel wearing their Tri Nations medals and hugging everyone.
Next year they promise to be even stronger with the inclusions of exciting five-eighth Benji Marshall and world class forward Sonny Bill Williams who will make them even more explosive in the forwards.
Tri Nations organisers and major sponsor Gillette would have to support the Tri Nations opening with such a marquee game.
This year's tournament made a profit despite host Great Britain missing the final which drew just over 25,000 fans on a freezing night.
Source: AAP
New Zealand Rugby League is on top of the world and Christchurch sports fans may reap the benefits as Jade Stadium is seriously considered for the biggest match in international rugby league.
NZRL chairman Selwyn Pearson yesterday told The Press that his board "is working its butt off" to host one of two 2006 Tri-Nations matches against the Kangaroos in New Zealand and "we will seriously have to look at Jade Stadium for that one".
Pearson said that it was no longer a given that league tests were played in Auckland after the "extremely disappointing" turn-out at the past two home matches against the Kangaroos.
In 2004, only 14,000 spectators attended the New Zealand match against Australia. "We were told that the fans in South Auckland were reluctant to cross the harbour bridge, so we moved it to Ericsson this year and again only got 14,000."
Pearson said bad weather influenced the gate takings, but he still would have expected a bigger crowd after the sensational Kiwis victory in Sydney the previous week.
Christchurch fans, on the other hand, showed their appetite for top-class league when 17,000 fans this year watched the Warriors take on the Wests Tigers.
"If you can get 17,000 at a Warriors game, then I'd say we'd just about fill Jade Stadium when the Kiwis come to town," Pearson said.
The first big battle will be convincing the Australians "who are paying all the bills" for next year's Tri-Nations to play a trans-Tasman match in New Zealand. Pearson, however, was confident his Australian counterparts would be more receptive to New Zealand demands after Sunday's 24-0 demolition of the Kangaroos. "We should have a bit more clout."
Even if the NZRL loses that boardroom battle, Pearson said Christchurch would then become "a front-runner" to host a Tri-Nations test against Great Britain.
"And if Canterbury sports fans vote with their feet, we would have to consider Christchurch more often in the future, despite the extra costs of flying the teams down there."
Pearson expected the decision on the venues to be made at the next conference of the International Federation of Rugby League in late March, only days after the Warriors match against the West Tigers on March 25. A bumper crowd at Jade Stadium could do wonders for Christchurch's test claims, Pearson said.
The chairman added that he was also keen to take tests to Dunedin, Wellington, Waikato and Taranaki, "places where the game is just booming".
The Kiwis' success is likely to have an impact on player numbers up and down the country and Pearson said his focus was on supplying good structures and quality coaches for the youngsters.
"In the old days we used to grab a parent or a player who often didn't really know what they were doing. But those kids are not stupid. They know if the coach is an idiot.
"We have to be careful the game doesn't explode and the kids are not in good hands."
This was why NZRL would invest most of the potential financial spin-offs into grassroots league, "like coaching clinics and getting the college nationals up and running again".
New sponsors were already knocking on Pearson's door, but the chairman said the NZRL would look after its present sponsors first "who stuck with us in the hard times".
"Now they're getting some bang for their buck."
The Kiwis' Tri-Nations victory has been the climax of a highly successful year for the NZRL and Pearson was grateful Sparc was rewarded for its funding. "They have been marvellous."
This year the New Zealand A team "walloped" an Australian Invitational side, the Residents Team, beat the New South Wales Jim Beam Cup side, the national under-16 team went unbeaten on its Australian tour, while the Junior Kiwis had a big win over the Australian Schoolboys.
Pearson said those successes were the fruits of years of hard work by the NZRL.
"Just look at a kid like Manu Vatuvei. He came through the under-16s, the under-18s and is now playing for his country. How good is that?"
And the future looks brighter with the return of superstars like Benji Marshall and Sonny Bill Williams for the 2006 Tri-Nations. "Isn't that going to be a cracker?" Pearson said, "and believe me, there are plenty more kids like that coming through."
Source: STUFF.CO.NZ
The Kiwis want to cash in their huge upset win over Australia in the Elland Road final at the weekend and are already plotting a replay against the Kangaroos next year to kick off the Tri Nations tournament with a bang.
New Zealand Rugby League chairman Selwyn Pearson is keen to see the re-match played at the 50,000-seat Eden Park and he is supremely confident it would be a sellout.
The game would give the Tri Nations a huge kick-off given New Zealand embarrassed Australia 24-0 at Elland Road to end the Kangaroo's 27-year streak of not having been beaten in a series since losing to France in 1978.
The Kiwis continued their victory celebrations into a second day with weary players wandering around the foyer of the team's Leeds hotel wearing their Tri Nations medals and hugging everyone.
Next year they promise to be even stronger with the inclusions of exciting five-eighth Benji Marshall and world class forward Sonny Bill Williams who will make them even more explosive in the forwards.
Tri Nations organisers and major sponsor Gillette would have to support the Tri Nations opening with such a marquee game.
This year's tournament made a profit despite host Great Britain missing the final which drew just over 25,000 fans on a freezing night.
Source: AAP
New Zealand Rugby League is on top of the world and Christchurch sports fans may reap the benefits as Jade Stadium is seriously considered for the biggest match in international rugby league.
NZRL chairman Selwyn Pearson yesterday told The Press that his board "is working its butt off" to host one of two 2006 Tri-Nations matches against the Kangaroos in New Zealand and "we will seriously have to look at Jade Stadium for that one".
Pearson said that it was no longer a given that league tests were played in Auckland after the "extremely disappointing" turn-out at the past two home matches against the Kangaroos.
In 2004, only 14,000 spectators attended the New Zealand match against Australia. "We were told that the fans in South Auckland were reluctant to cross the harbour bridge, so we moved it to Ericsson this year and again only got 14,000."
Pearson said bad weather influenced the gate takings, but he still would have expected a bigger crowd after the sensational Kiwis victory in Sydney the previous week.
Christchurch fans, on the other hand, showed their appetite for top-class league when 17,000 fans this year watched the Warriors take on the Wests Tigers.
"If you can get 17,000 at a Warriors game, then I'd say we'd just about fill Jade Stadium when the Kiwis come to town," Pearson said.
The first big battle will be convincing the Australians "who are paying all the bills" for next year's Tri-Nations to play a trans-Tasman match in New Zealand. Pearson, however, was confident his Australian counterparts would be more receptive to New Zealand demands after Sunday's 24-0 demolition of the Kangaroos. "We should have a bit more clout."
Even if the NZRL loses that boardroom battle, Pearson said Christchurch would then become "a front-runner" to host a Tri-Nations test against Great Britain.
"And if Canterbury sports fans vote with their feet, we would have to consider Christchurch more often in the future, despite the extra costs of flying the teams down there."
Pearson expected the decision on the venues to be made at the next conference of the International Federation of Rugby League in late March, only days after the Warriors match against the West Tigers on March 25. A bumper crowd at Jade Stadium could do wonders for Christchurch's test claims, Pearson said.
The chairman added that he was also keen to take tests to Dunedin, Wellington, Waikato and Taranaki, "places where the game is just booming".
The Kiwis' success is likely to have an impact on player numbers up and down the country and Pearson said his focus was on supplying good structures and quality coaches for the youngsters.
"In the old days we used to grab a parent or a player who often didn't really know what they were doing. But those kids are not stupid. They know if the coach is an idiot.
"We have to be careful the game doesn't explode and the kids are not in good hands."
This was why NZRL would invest most of the potential financial spin-offs into grassroots league, "like coaching clinics and getting the college nationals up and running again".
New sponsors were already knocking on Pearson's door, but the chairman said the NZRL would look after its present sponsors first "who stuck with us in the hard times".
"Now they're getting some bang for their buck."
The Kiwis' Tri-Nations victory has been the climax of a highly successful year for the NZRL and Pearson was grateful Sparc was rewarded for its funding. "They have been marvellous."
This year the New Zealand A team "walloped" an Australian Invitational side, the Residents Team, beat the New South Wales Jim Beam Cup side, the national under-16 team went unbeaten on its Australian tour, while the Junior Kiwis had a big win over the Australian Schoolboys.
Pearson said those successes were the fruits of years of hard work by the NZRL.
"Just look at a kid like Manu Vatuvei. He came through the under-16s, the under-18s and is now playing for his country. How good is that?"
And the future looks brighter with the return of superstars like Benji Marshall and Sonny Bill Williams for the 2006 Tri-Nations. "Isn't that going to be a cracker?" Pearson said, "and believe me, there are plenty more kids like that coming through."
Source: STUFF.CO.NZ