I also think that the riot argument is a little simplistic – My reservations with regards to Dunedin would be with regards to the nightlife/hospitality scene. I just don’t see how Dunedin has the capacity to cope with the influx of people for something like Sevens weekend. I witnessed what happened there with the Lions tour – it was great – but that was Dunedin at a stretch. The carnival that accompanies the Sevens would be a bridge too far in my opinion. There are queues around the block for bars like The Cook on a normal weekend in the absence of special events.

There is no real central locations for bars – it’s divided between the Uni and the Octagon. Having studied for 5 years in Dunedin I am certain that the Octagon alone couldn’t cope with what I saw in Courtenay Place last night.

As far as I’m concerned this is just a paper pushing exercise on behalf of the NZRU just to be seen to be transparent and “fair”. All it’ll do is waste rate-payer money in all the centres that choose to bid – it’s a foregone conclusion that Wellington will keep it. It’s this mindless exercises like this that leave me shaking my head – Do you think that China RFU would ever think of moving the Hong Kong event to Shanghai or Beijing in the interests of “fairness”? Brazil move Carnival from Rio to Sao Paulo? Wimbledon moved to Manchester? Mardi Gras from New Orleans to New York?
It’s daft to tinker with a winning formula.

Not unless it is named “Mallard Stadium” huh Trev? You were quite willing to spend $350M on a Stadium on Auckland’s waterfront. Remember? I do.

The sevens should stay in Wellington because a lot of Wellingtonians like to dress up and pretend they are something they are not.

Auckland just could not handle something like the Sevens. FFS we can’t even get transport from the City to the Airport sorted. Prob we have far too many Trevs up here.

As 103PapPap says, the student population is only just flowing into the city at this time of year, many of the first years accompanied by their parents – more possible attendees at a sports carnival.

Dunedin already successfully has festival weekends organised around rugby tests. No riots then, they are not student events. Trying to play the riot card against Dunedin is a bit like playing the earthquake card against Wellington – perhaps a bit devious.

Having said that, Sevens and Wellington have a history and seem to belong together. It would be a shame if it just becomes a highest bidder event.

And as for Chch – what got up your nose SWT that you are so down on Chch? It’s a great place to live and work, the stadium (now larger and grander) is close to the central (party) city, and the flatness actually makes it easier for people to walk around.

But then again, often one can tell from the tone that there is no reasoning with some people, no rhyme or reason to their thinking. So it is, I suspect, in your case.

At 2 test matches I have witnessed a barrage of beer bottles (plastic) thrown at the South Africa team after their win and then at the French team when they did a “thank you ” lap at the end of their game. Say no more.

BTW The 7′s is an excuse for many people (including lots of Aucklanders) to PARTY DRINK and ROOT in Wellington, often WITHOUT their “significant other”.

But @ “somewhatthoughtful” – why the vitriol against Christchurch? Do you have a small mind or small cohones? Grow up, loser.

The IRB don’t care ir’s a carnival, as long as the grounds are full.

That’s the point – they won’t be.

Nobody gives a s*it about the Rugby Sevens. People do not buy tickets to watch the Sevens, they buy tickets to the carnival. There’s no guarantee you’ll get carnival happening in locations that don’t suit it – Wellington has a parade route the focus of the city’s attention, and a small round stand where everyone can watch each other.

The WCC should call their bluff.

“Eden park is only a thirty minute walk from the city centre” but the spectator would not be walking from the city centre… they would be arriving from all points of the compass so much of the sense of carnival created by a wave of costumed revelers rolling en masse toward the park and back to the bars afterwards would be lost.