Cash Boost For Christchurch Rugby Fund

The International Rugby Board has revealed that rugby fans and teams at the recent World Cup helped raise NZ$400,000 (£202,000) to aid the rebuild of sports facilities in the earthquake-stricken New Zealand city of Christchurch.

New Zealand’s second-largest city lost the hosting rights to seven World Cup matches last September and October because of earthquake damage, and became the focal point of fund-raising throughout the tournament.

Much of city has been destroyed by a series of earthquakes over the past 15 months -with a tremor on 22nd February 2011, claiming 181 lives.

IRB chairperson Bernard Lapasset said in a statement: ‘The response of the global rugby family in uniting as one behind our friends in Christchurch has been tremendous.’

‘Everyone involved wanted to send a clear message to the people of Christchurch that they were still at the heart of Rugby World Cup 2011…and the appeal was one way of letting them know that rugby worldwide cares.’