Filed under: Rugby Union, Rugby World Cup, England Rugby, Scotland Rugby
England may be forgiven for thinking they have moved to a Southern Hemisphere corner of Scotland when they set up camp for the 2011 World Cup.Martin Johnson's men have had their first two pool games, against Argentina and Georgia, moved from the earthquake-ravaged city of Christchurch to Dunedin, almost 200 miles and five hours' drive south.
They were originally due to make a brief stop to play Romania in the city, but now they will spend up to four weeks in the Otago provincial centre.
Dunedin is famous in New Zealand for two things: students and indie music. But it is also well-known for its strong ties to Scotland - the name itself is derived from the Gaelic version of Edinburgh and half of the suburbs are named after Scottish place names or people.
The move south was inevitable, given the damage in Christchurch. But it will provide some logistical challenges for organisers - and it has nothing to do with the fact that the stadium is yet to be finished.
England's travelling fanbase is set to be one of the largest. Before the earthquake struck Christchurch on February 22 there had already been talk of the city being "full".
Many fans had already opted to stay on cruise liners moored at nearby Lyttleton harbour for the duration of England's stay in the South Island, such was the scarcity of accommodation pre-quake.
But the population of Dunedin is just over a third of that of Christchurch. And it is not as much of a tourist hub and therefore has nowhere near the amount of hotel space as the Canterbury town.
England's arrival has meant Scotland have also been moved, out of the city. The Scots were originally due to play Georgia on September 14, four days before England were to play the same opponents.
That game has been moved even further south to Invercargill - a town which can feel every bit like the last step-off point from civilisation before Antarctica - for "operational reasons", according to organisers. Meanwhile Scotland's game against Argentina will take place in Wellington.
Rugby World Cup Limited chairman Bernard Lapasset said: "We appreciate the patience shown by the teams and fans during this difficult period and are enormously grateful for the support and co-operation of all our partners during what has been a complex process."
Lapasset and 2011 chief executive Martin Sneddon had little choice but to move the games, especially after pledging to Kiwi fans that the World Cup would be held entirely in New Zealand. Australia was briefly mooted as an alternative venue, after the Christchurch quake but that notion was swiftly rebuffed by Sneddon.
And now rugby fans from both New Zealand and England will be hoping the process does not become even more complicated once the thousands begin descending on the Edinburgh of the south.
As for the Forsyth Barr stadium in Dunedin - apparently that is on track and due for its first game in late July.
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