Damage to Christchurch's Rugby Stadium Still Unknown

(ATR) New Zealand’s IOC member tells Around the Rings the Christchurch stadium for the Rugby World Cup is in the area hardest hit by Tuesday’s earthquake.

"I have not heard any reports of damage to the Rugby stadium," Barry Maister told ATR, "but it certainly was on the side of the city that had the most damage overall."

Early reports fromNZ media indicate bubbles up to half a meter high could render the pitch unplayable for at least five-and-a-half months – play kicks off in less than seven –butNew Zealand prime minister John Key is holding out hope.

"If we can host the Rugby World Cup as we intend to in Christchurch I would like to do that," he said Wednesday at a press conference in Wellington.

"It's some way into the future [but] it's a very important city to New Zealand.

"It would be a demonstration Christchurch is back up on its feet."

"A Resilient Mob Down Under"

Maister, who grew up in Christchurch, was in Wellington when the quake struck and has since rearranged his already tight schedule in response to the aftershock that killed at least 75 and left hundreds more missing.

The recently retired NOC leader was slated to attend an international athletics meeting Saturday in Christchurch, an event now rescheduled for Wellington because of damage to the city’s athletics stadium.

Maister will present Beijing 1500m bronze medalist Nick Willis with the 2008 Olympic silver medal following a doping disqualification of first-place finisher Rashid Ramzi of Bahrain.

After the ceremony-turned-fundraiser for Christchurch, he’ll board an overnight flight to Munich to join his IOC Evaluation Commission colleagues in time for next week’s inspection of the Bavarian bid city.

"Hard to see the city recovering such is the devastation to the central city," Maister said of his hometown, "but we are a resilient mob down under!"

New Zealand Keeps the Cup, Says Chief Organizer

The country’s organizing committee for the upcoming Cup shed little light on the stadium’s status in a statement posted Wednesday to its website.

"It is too early to talk in any detail about implications for the Tournament in Christchurch and any assessment by us must wait while the rescue efforts take priority," said Rugby New Zealand 2011 CEO Martin Snedden.

"The next step will involve our organization leading a thorough process of assessing the city’s ability to host the seven RWC 2011 matches scheduled to take place there. This will involve an assessment of all the key RWC 2011 infrastructure of the city including the stadium, hotels, training facilities and the transport network."

The newly renovated Stadium Christchurch boasts a capacity of nearly 40,000 and is due to host five pool matches as well as two quarterfinals during the competition slated for Sept. 9 through Oct. 23.

Though it’s unclear whether the city’s role in staging the two-month tournament will be affected, Snedden insisted the country’s hosting rights are secure.

"There has been speculation that this tragedy puts the entire event in jeopardy or that matches will relocate to Australia. That is not the case," he said.

"Rest assured, RWC 2011 will proceed and all matches will take place in New Zealand."

The Cup is spread among 12 cities on both the North and South islands with Christchurch joining Auckland and Wellington as its three main hosts.

Written by Matthew Grayson.