The All Blacks will train in earthquake-hit Christchurch for part of this year’s Rugby World Cup in a show of support for the stricken city, team officials said.
New Zealand’s second largest city was stripped of its World Cup games last week amid fears it would not recover from a deadly February 22 earthquake in time to play a part in the September-October tournament.
With Christchurch’s scheduled quarter-finals moved to Auckland and its pool matches shifted to alternative venues, All Blacks manager Darren Shand said the national team wanted to find a way to involve the city in the tournament.
Shand said the All Blacks would base themselves in Christchurch for five days from September 17, meaning most of the lead up to a crucial pool match against France in Auckland on September 24 will be spent in the city.
“As we all know, the Canterbury region is a rugby stronghold, the All Blacks have a massive fan base there and many people are doing it tough so we want to give something back,” he said.