Super rugby: Chiefs can't play in the 'Naki'

Yarrow Stadium needs immediate earthquake strengthening. Photo / Photosport

There is a sense of irony that Taranaki and the Chiefs have never been more closely aligned and yet New Plymouth will not host a Super Rugby match next year.

Taranaki coach Colin Cooper succeeds Dave Rennie at the Chiefs next season. The province's chief executive, Michael Collins, steps into to the top job at the Chiefs late next month, replacing Andrew Flexman. Taranaki also provides Charlie Ngatai, Mitchell Graham, Marty McKenzie, Lachlan Boshier and Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi, among others, to the Chiefs squad.

And yet on Friday when the franchise announced their home fixtures for 2018, despite the ever growing connections, New Plymouth was absent. Seven home games in Hamilton; one against Argentina's Jaguares in Rotorua.

Taranaki's move to join the Chiefs franchise was largely prompted by frustration around the lack of home games during the region's original affiliation with the Hurricanes.

Since then, Taranaki's four-year partnership with the Chiefs has seen New Plymouth host six matches.

Now, three months after successfully hosting the All Blacks victory over Argentina, major issues with the main east stand have seen Yarrow Stadium deemed unfit to host Super Rugby next year.

The east stand, which houses coaching boxes, changing sheds and corporate boxes, needs immediate earthquake strengthening.

The Taranaki Rugby Union and a catering company have been evacuated in the wake of a report from an independent engineering company delivered to council, and a plan to fix the problems won't be made until early next year.

"The New Plymouth District Council is expecting a further geotechnical report in January just to determine the scale of the issue," Collins said. "That grandstand holds all the power and the control room to the whole stadium so with the report not due out till late January/February it's not feasible to take a game there.

"It's been a massive upheaval for Taranaki rugby and the New Plymouth District Council just in terms of normal business operations.

"The plan was definitely to take a game to Yarrow Stadium but unfortunately we're not too sure what state the east stand is going to be in so we weren't in a position to make that call.

"I'm sure when there's a clear plan on whether Yarrow Stadium can be used again the Chiefs will be in line to play there."

In 2015, the Chiefs played two matches in New Plymouth; one each the following two years.

Next year, Taranaki's loss is loss Rotorua's gain.

Chiefs' home fixturesv Bulls in Hamilton
v Highlanders in Hamilton
v Blues in Hamilton
v Jaguares in Rotorua
v Waratahs in Hamilton
v Brumbies in Hamilton
v Crusaders in Hamilton
v Hurricanes in Hamilton