By MARC HINTON - Stuff.co.nz
Last updated 20:11 08/10/2009
IAIN McGREGOR/Stuff.co.nz
RETURN OF THE BLACK: Dunedin and New Plymouth were the big winners, being allocated June All Blacks tests in 2010.
Dunedin and New Plymouth were the big winners when the venues for the All Blacks' home tests next year were unveiled.
The All Blacks will play in New Plymouth, Dunedin, Hamilton, Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch next year during the June internationals and Tri-Nations that follows.
The Dunedin test at Carisbrook, against Wales, is notable for two reasons - it could be the last international played at the famous old ground which is due to be phased out in 2011 for the new roofed facility; and it will be the first time the Welsh have played New Zealand in the southern city.
The All Blacks will kick off their season with a test against 2009 Six Nations champions Ireland at Yarrow Stadium, New Plymouth (June 12). This will be just the second international at the Taranaki venue, following last year's historic clash against Samoa.
The New Plymouth match will be followed by two tests against Wales, the first at Carisbrook on Saturday, June 19 and the second at Waikato Stadium, Hamilton, on Saturday June 26.
Christchurch gets the Bledisloe Cup test in the Tri-Nations, which will be the first to be held in the fully redeveloped AMI Stadium.
The other Tri-Nations tests, both against South Africa, are being held at Eden Park in Auckland on Saturday July 10 and Westpac Stadium in the capital a week later.
New Zealand Rugby Union chief executive Steve Tew said the All Blacks' home test schedule presented some great opportunities for the regions hosting matches.
"The Dunedin, New Plymouth and Christchurch test matches will be quite special, all for different reasons, and I'm sure that rugby fans in those regions will already be looking forward to these historic events," he said.
2010 ALL BLACKS & TRI-NATIONS SCHEDULE
June International Series
June 12: All Blacks vs Ireland, Yarrow Stadium, New Plymouth
June 19: All Blacks vs Wales, Carisbrook, Dunedin
June 26: All Blacks vs Wales, Waikato Stadium, Hamilton
Investec Tri-Nations
July 10: All Blacks vs South Africa, Eden Park, Auckland
July 17: All Blacks vs South Africa, Westpac Stadium, Wellington
July 24: Australia vs South Africa, Brisbane
July 31: Australia vs All Blacks, Melbourne
August 7: All Blacks vs Australia, AMI Stadium, Christchurch
August 21: South Africa vs All Blacks, Johannesburg
August 28: South Africa vs Australia, Pretoria
September 4: South Africa vs Australia, Bloemfontein
September 11: Australia vs All Blacks, Sydney
No comments:
Post a Comment