No rugby will be played at Hamilton's new Waikato Stadium this year after the trust behind the $26 million project admitted it was two months behind schedule.
Five home NPC rugby matches will now have to be played at the neighbouring WestpacTrust Park cricket ground, where nearly 3000 temporary seats will
be installed.
Stadium trust chairman David Braithwaite today confirmed the two-month delay after weeks of speculation. The original completion date had been August 24.
He said there was no cost overrun at this stage.
Waikato Rugby Union chief executive Gary Dawson said the union was still working on what the delay would cost it.
WestpacTrust Park can hold 14-16,000 while the new stadium will hold 27,000. Home crowds for NPC matches last season averaged 10,000.
Mr Braithwaite blamed the delay on a two-month holdup late last year in getting final funding approval from the Hamilton City Council and WEL Energy Trust.
Work on the twin stadium project - a $26 million redevelopment of Rugby Park and $2.5 million upgrade to WestpacTrust Park - started at the end of November.
