Rugby union won’t fund stadium

Canterbury rugby has ruled out helping to pay for a multi-use arena in Christchurch.

‘‘It’s a community facility at the end of the day,’’ Canterbury Rugby Football Union (CRFU) chairman Trevor McIntyre said.

‘‘If it was a place just for rugby and we were the only one to benefit from it, I’d expect we pay for it.’’

Calls by CRFU and Crusaders boss Hamish Riach for the Christchurch City Council to show ‘‘strong leadership’’ and immediately start planning a Lancaster Park replacement have led to several people saying the CRFU should help pay for the arena.

McIntyre and CRFU chief executive Nathan Godfrey said yesterday the union was not in a position to contribute towards building the facility.

CRFU paid $1.23 million a year to use the temporary AMI Stadium – $500,000 more than it had paid at Lancaster Park before it was damaged in the quakes. ‘‘This fee is significantly higher than any other rugby union in the country is paying for the use of stadia in their respective cities,’’ Godfrey said.

‘‘It’s a community facility at the end of the day.’’ Canterbury Rugby Football Union (CRFU) chairman Trevor McIntyre

McIntyre said the union had struggled to break even since the earthquakes, so was not in a financial position to contribute toward a multi-use arena.

‘‘We are a tenant and have always been a tenant.’’

Crusaders chief executive Hamish Riach said the franchise expected to pay its way as a commercial tenant, but not as partowner of public infrastructure.

‘‘The council provides the assets for the good of the city and the community can access it.

‘‘You don’t ask Bruce Springsteen to part own a stadium because he performs there.’’

A $470m stadium in central Christchurch was identified as an anchor project and was originally expected to be completed this year. The council has pushed out stadium spending over three financial years from 2022-23, but Mayor Lianne Dalziel said there was a possibility this could be brought forward.

A cost-sharing agreement signed by the Crown and the council in 2013 stated the stadium would be built with private sector funding, and the Crown and the council would split the difference 50/50. However, the council’s contribution would be capped at $253m. The agreement also said the Crown would contribute the land to the project, and the council would fund all other costs.

Earlier this month, then-greater Christchurch regeneration minister Gerry Brownlee announced the Crown would fund a prefeasibility study for the arena, which was expected to be completed by July. Dalziel said yesterday the council was working with central Government on the prefeasibility study. Once that report was completed, council would be in a position to discuss the issue.

She said if the project stacked up and was able to pay for itself, then there was a possibility the council could bring funding forward, but that was a long way off.

Three city blocks bounded by Hereford, Tuam, Madras and Barbadoes streets have been designated for a stadium. The Government has bought most of the land and is in negotiations over the remaining parcels.