Poor ticket sales threatens Carisbrook as test venue

Christchurch's status as a host of major rugby tests is under threat because of poor ticket sales ahead of next week's fixture against Italy.

About 12,000 tickets have been sold for the city's only All Blacks test of the year, less than half the capacity of AMI Stadium, which is currently undergoing reconstruction.

New Zealand Rugby Union chief executive Steve Tew said he was "very worried" about the figure, saying it compared poorly with New Zealand's other venues and continued an apathetic attitude to attending Christchurch tests.

"We would like to see more people there than are currently committed to the game, otherwise we are going to have to take a very deep breath about future allocations in that city," Tew said today.

Capacity at the ground is currently 26,000 while construction continues on the 15,000-seat Deans Stand which will be completed ahead of the 2011 World Cup.

Tew said there was no threat that any of the five World Cup pool games would be stripped from Christchurch, nor either of the two quarterfinals.

However, venues such as Hamilton and Dunedin were looming as major threats to Christchurch to host other tests.

Hamilton's Waikato Stadium sold out for a test against lowly Canada two years ago while there was a full house at Dunedin's ageing Carisbrook for the first French test last week.

"They (Dunedin) were very innovative and we've been supported two years in a row down there in a facility you can't say is any better than AMI Stadium currently is," Tew said.

"There seems to be an issue in the Christchurch market with supporting rugby currently.

"While Italy is not the best opposition from a sales point of view. They haven't been here that often and it's still, after all, the All Blacks."

Before reconstruction, Christchurch failed to reach its 36,000 capacity for Tri-Nations tests against South African in 2007 and Australia the year before.

Tew said there was ongoing market research into why crowds do or don't attend rugby matches and believed more questions would need to be asked in Christchurch.

He agreed the cold easterly wind that hits spectators in the giant West Stand was a factor.

"Somehow we've got to do better, all of us," he said.

"All of our research shows people are still incredibly interested in the All Blacks.

"You can't make people come to rugby games, they have to want to come."

Tew was content with the 31,000 tickets sold as of tonight for the second test against France at Westpac Stadium in Wellington tomorrow. That is 4000 short of capacity but ahead of what was budgeted for.