The lights that once lit up Carisbrook will light up the
Crusaders.
Though details have yet to be completed, the four lighting
towers that have stood over Carisbrook will be used to light
up the new temporary ground in Christchurch.
The announcement of the $20 million ground in the garden city
was made by Prime Minister John Key on Tuesday. A 17,000
capacity ground will be created at the old Rugby League Park
in Addington, with full corporate facilities and lighting
towers.
Crusaders chief executive Hamish Riach said yesterday that,
as far as he understood, the lights from Carisbrook were to
be installed at the new ground.
The four lighting towers were good enough for test matches so
should be more than adequate for the new ground in
Christchurch.
The lights and towers at Carisbrook have been owned by Delta
since the break-up of the electricity industry. When
contacted, Delta chief executive Grady Cameron said he could
not comment, due to a confidential agreement on the issue.
The Christchurch City Council was negotiating the purchase of
the towers, Riach said.
With the Dunedin City Council-owned Carisbrook now up for
sale and not looking likely to be used for sport, the light
towers have little use there.
They are between 46m and 49m high, but about 40m when the
lighting heads are taken off.
They can be shipped by truck so should be easy to take north.
The lights were first used for a test in 2002.
Diggers will start ripping up the ground tomorrow, with the
first match scheduled for early March.
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