Crusaders leave for London to play charity match – Rugby news
The Crusaders have left for London to take on the sharks for charity match. The Super Rugby match is scheduled to be played at Twickenham stadium in London on March 26, 2011.
The match would be played for fund raising to help the earthquake-hit people of Christchurch. This would be the first Super Rugby match to be played at other than SANZAR soil.
The Super Rugby is played among the SANZAR member countries revised recently. SANZAR represents the South Africa, New Zealand and Australia Rugby which made some positive changes in its format early this year. According to new format five tames from each
country could participate in the championship and 75% of the matches to be played among the home franchises. Whereas the remaining matches of the Super Rugby were scheduled to be played across the borders.
The deadly earthquake of February 22, 2011 played havoc for Christchurch. It killed more than 180 people, left as many as 170 missing and thousands of houses were collapsed as a result. Meanwhile the home ground of Crusaders AMI stadium in Christchurch was
damaged to great extent and later on it was declared unfit to host seven Rugby World Cup matches including two quarter-finals. The Rugby World Cup is kicking off in New Zealand later this year in September.
Earlier on, the same venue was also scheduled to host five home matches of the ongoing Super Rugby matches for Crusaders. However, unfortunately those matches were transferred to Nelson as the nearest home ground for Crusaders.
New Zealand Rugby Union requested to England Football Rugby Union to allow them to organize a charity match at the Twickenham stadium in London but the request was turned down as there was already a fixture on the proposed date.
Later on, the England Football Rugby Union revised their decision and granted the permission for charity match on 26th March. Rugby lovers responded the hasty call with great zeal and zest and about 25,000 of the tickets have been sold. The huge crowd of
55,000 is expected watch the action live.
The Crusaders coach Todd Blackadder looked very serious before flying to London and said it is not any exciting trip but just a tough match.
He said, “Unfortunately for them it won't be as exciting as they think it will because you just get into a hotel, you go to train.... It's just like being on tour so it definitely won't be a sightseeing trip.”
He further argued that, “This is a home game for us, we're not going to do anything that we wouldn't normally do because it's solely around performance.”
On the other hand, Crusaders halfback Andy Ellis is excited to see his ex-team mates there in London. Ellis said it is fine job to do something for suffering people in this age.
He added, “(It's) just something really unique, it's something really special you know, we're doing something for ourselves which I think is just fantastic in the current climate.”
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