TVNZ have revealed today that the government of NZ knew five days before the official announcement that Christchurch was to lose its RWC matches, but they have denied that they pulled the wool over the public’s eyes.

“Papers released today, under the Official Information Act, show the government was told five days before the official announcement on March 16 that the chances were slim.

The government remained tight-lipped about the prospects, despite reports it had that said there was a chance AMI Stadium’s turf might not be ready in time…” read the full report here

On the 15th March,almost 48 hours before the official announcement was made the UK’s Daily Telegraph leaked details about it, read Christchurch Won’t Host World Cup – updated yet even then the government was still insisting they’d find a way for the matches to go ahead in the city.

On the 10th of March the same paper said that the decision on the games would be finalised on evidence that would be produced that week. But all the evidence was that Christchurch wasn’t in any condition to host the games. Yet the mayor,  Bob Parker, was making comments like these.

“Look if his Majesty the Prince can come down and join us next week and be in this city, we’ll take him through and show him some some of the things we here have all had to see and had to live through then I think the English rugby team would feel…less than men themselves, er.. if they couldn’t come down here six months later. So I recon we can solve the problems……”

Read Decision On Christchurch RWC On A Knife Edge, English Rugby Team “Less Than Men,” Stadium Damaged for the rest of it.

Why did both the government and Bob Parker persist on talking-up the city’s ability to hold the games? Were they hoping that aspirational talk would take the focus away from their involvement with making what must have been a very difficult decision? The Telegraph also said on the 15th March

80 per cent of the city’s roads are impassable, a third of its buildings are damaged and major utilities were seriously hit by the earthquake, the national and city authorities are set to plough their resources into rebuilding the city instead of making the stadium a priority.

and

The decision to take the tournament away from Christchurch will be made in the next 48 hours.The NZ government will be involved in that decision. It will be made jointly by the IRB, the New Zealand government, the New Zealand Rugby Union and Rugby World Cup Limited. The latter is the company that was established to run the tournament.

Wouldn’t it have been better to have been straight with the people of Canterbury right from the start, rather than let them find out this way?