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MEDIA STATEMENT

9 December 2011

Carisbrook Lights to Shine on Canterbury

Lights from Carisbrook Stadium in Dunedin are heading north to Rugby League Park in Christchurch to enable major rugby games to be played again in the earthquake-damaged city.

Christchurch’s main sports ground, AMI Stadium, was closed following the Canterbury earthquakes. As a result, Rugby League Park, near the Addington Racecourse, is being upgraded as an alternative sports venue and will be the base for the Crusaders during the 2012 Super 15 rugby union season.

Delta Chief Executive Grady Cameron says the lights, owned by Delta and sold to Christchurch City Council, will be installed at Rugby League Park to enable televised night rugby to return to Christchurch.

“With completion of the new Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin this year, major rugby games will no longer be played at Carisbrook Stadium and the lights there became surplus to requirements. The four 48-metre tall lighting towers were originally installed at Carisbrook in 1998.

“The timing has worked out well for both Christchurch City Council and Delta. We’re delighted that the lights have found a new home in Christchurch for the benefit of Canterbury rugby and sporting fans. These lights will play a small but significant part in helping the city get back on its feet,” says Mr Cameron.

Over the next week, the four lighting towers will be disconnected and progressively dismantled using a 100-tonne crane before being transported in sections to Christchurch. The four 48-metre tall lighting towers are made of galvanised steel tube. Each pole tapers from 1.5 metres diameter at the base to 450 centimetres at the top. The towers support a total of 222 lights on head frames measuring 6 metres wide by 3.5 metres high.

ENDS

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