Another overseas Bledisloe

[travelling_gerry]

Another overseas Bledisloe

By Iain Payten
November 20, 2008 THE financial success of Australia's recent Hong Kong stopover has ensured another offshore Bledisloe Cup next year - but at an undecided venue.

A revenue-raising fourth clash with New Zealand this year yielded $2million each for the ARU and their Kiwi counterparts. Both parties are keen to cash in again and are contemplating a range of new cities around the globe to visit.

New Zealand reports suggest a game in Denver, Colorado, is close to being finalised but it's understood the US is one of three possibilities, alongside Tokyo and London. A clash in Denver would be held at the 76,000-seat Ivensco Field, home of the Broncos NFL team.

But while the potential for a bumper payday has been boosted by the falling Australian and Kiwi dollars, there remain fears a Bledisloe Cup clash may not match Barack Obama's recent feat at Ivensco - filling the stadium.

Officials are worried a half-full venue could defeat the financial purpose of the exercise and tarnish the Bledisloe brand.

The likelihood of a lucrative full-house at Twickenham saw ARU boss John O'Neill meet with the RFU last week.

Tokyo remains strongly supported as well, with rugby keen to tap into the Japanese market.



http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,...-23217,00.html

[zimeric]

I quite like the idea of a rugby match in grid-iron heartland.. will make them sit up and blink! that being said i don't think there'll be enough interest to fill a stadium.

another option is do a Bledisloe roadshow... have three neutral venues eg: Twickenham, Commonwealth Stadium (Edmonton Canada), NOS Tokyo..

All three countries have a significant Rugby following and would almost certainly be stadium filler games!

[frontrow]

Interesting idea zimeric, although it would be nice of them to look at the west first, ie PERTH...
That said, i have nothing else to add to this forum...

[mudskipper]

Denver Colorado...Why not, there wont be many AUS & NZ supporters there but I'm sure they'll get a big turn out from the NFL and College supporters.

Now thats a Stadium Force Fans

[zimeric]

the big problem with that stadium is that it is astro-turf.. would cost a HEAP to convert it to Grass for just one game... where-as the stadia i mentioned in Canada & Japan are natural grass and have had rugby played there before...
apparently the Tokyo stadium gets packed out just for University games (60 000)

[mudskipper]

Perhaps they'll play in skins...

[zimeric]

Astro burn takes carpet burn to the next level.... i wouldnt want to play on it

[TOCC]

Interesting idea zimeric, although it would be nice of them to look at the west first, ie PERTH...
That said, i have nothing else to add to this forum...

is a game in Perth going to raise $4million for the ARU and NZRU

[slomo]

Interesting idea zimeric, although it would be nice of them to look at the west first, ie PERTH...
That said, i have nothing else to add to this forum...

im with you on that one FT, even if it wasn't in perth, which aint gonna happen in my life time, look after the local australian supporters in OZ and kiwi supporters in NZ, 2 tests in each country per year (except RWC years)............

[zimeric]

Noones saying it should be an tri-annual event, just one match a year somewhere other than home soil... eg: 2008 Hong-kong, 2009 Edmonton, 2010 Twickenham, 2012 Tokyo

Edmonton


Twickenham


Tokyo

[blueandblack]

2014 Siberia

[zimeric]

hmmm could work.... if they wore PADDED WHALE BLUBBER!

[beige]

Man, how old's that Twickenham photo?

I imagine if they played in Japan, it would probably be here but just a guess...

[blueandblack]

iceland could use some money. give them a bledisloe.