We're sticking with Christchurch: All Blacks

All Black and Crusader Kieran Read helps with the clean-up. He says winning the World Cup was a great distraction from earthquakes. Photo / Dean Purcell

World Cup-winning All Black Israel Dagg often outruns his opposition, and he admits he considered running away from the earthquakes in his adopted home of Christchurch.

"To be honest, yeah, I have thought about it," the rising All Black star said.

"But you can't run from these things. My life is here and my career is here at the moment. I've just got to harden up, and get through it."

The Herald spoke to Dagg and other Canterbury-based All Blacks ahead of the first anniversary next week of the killer February quake and found that even those who recently made Christchurch home have formed a strong connection to the quake-ravaged city and its people.

When he moved to Christchurch to join the Crusaders for the Super 15 rugby season last year, Dagg, 23, said he found it "pretty surreal" and "quite scary".

"Before the February [quake] there was a couple of little ones, and they were okay to deal with. And then February [22] came along, and I couldn't believe I was part of this. I had just moved down from Hawkes Bay and I had felt two earthquakes in my lifetime. Coming down to hundreds ... it's pretty freaky."

The fullback said it was getting easier every day.

All Black wing Zac Guildford, 23, said he was happy to be back living in Christchurch. "Earthquakes aren't going to scare me off."

Guildford was having lunch and playing video games with Crusaders teammate Sean Maitland when the 6.3 magnitude quake hit a year ago. We ran outside and I had to pull Sean off a 2m fence. He was like a startled cat. It's pretty tough, but we are fortunate to still be here.

"I think once these shakes stop and we can get up and rebuild our city again, I think it's going to be the best city in New Zealand."

All Black No 8 Kieran Read and his family have had to abandon their quake-damaged home and move to a property in a safer area. Winning the World Cup had been the ideal distraction.

"Rugby's a great outlet. You can let a few frustrations out on the pitch. If you're probably just living here and constantly being reminded of what happened, it could be a really tough year."

Crusaders coach and former All Black captain Todd Blackadder said the quakes had only made him "more and more determined" to be part of Canterbury's future. "If I wasn't a rugby coach, I would still be determined to be part of the rebuild."