Council backing Napier test

The All Blacks may play a test in Napier next year.

The possibility of an All Blacks rugby test being played in Napier next year is being backed by the City Council which is prepared to underwrite costs up to $250,000.

The sum was approved by a Council meeting yesterday, though with the New Zealand Rugby Union yet to announce its 2014 test-match schedule no further details were revealed or were otherwise available.

One source claims to be aware of plans for a match between the All Blacks and Argentina in The Rugby Championship.

The venue would be McLean Park, where the All Blacks played Samoa in 1996, the national side's first home test match to be played at night and the first official home test outside the traditional centres of Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin.

Despite hopes at the time that Napier could become a test match venue every three to four years, no more tests had been staged at the ground apart from two non-All Blacks matches in the 2011 Rugby World Cup.

The All Blacks have, however, now played 20 tests outside the traditional centres.

The possibility of a 2014 test match being played in Napier was first revealed by Hawke's Bay Today in August.

The Council input comes from a rating surplus of $1,479,900 from the year ended June 30, which the council agreed to transfer to its Capital Reserve Account.

In addition to supporting the rugby test bid and the bringing of an Han Dynasty terracotta warriors exhibition to the new MTG art gallery and museum, other allocations are $137,500 for Pettigrew.Green Arena operating costs, and $50,000 each for relocating Marineland mammals, a bronze sculpture in Emerson St, and for an events co-ordinator expected to be appointed to focus on attracting major events to Napier.