Eden Park to Host VD Test Match

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PRESS RELEASE

EDEN PARK TO HOST VB TEST MATCH
Auckland, New Zealand, January 20, 2012 – International rugby league is heading back to Eden Park with the NZRL confirming today that the first of their two 2012 clashes against Australia will be played at New Zealand’s largest stadium on Friday, April 20.

Eden Park CEO, David Kennedy, welcomed confirmation of the Test. “It’s great to see New Zealand rugby league’s biggest international of the year coming to New Zealand’s premier stadium.”

Eden Park hosted eleven Rugby World Cup matches last year, including both the semi-finals and the final. NZRL CEO Jim Doyle says, “It is now an excellent facility and we want the Kiwis to be playing on the biggest and best stage we have.” Doyle continues, “This promises to be a fantastic night out for all families and fans. We’re expecting a great crowd to come along and support the Kiwis.”

Rugby league crowds are certainly not newcomers to Eden Park. When the Kiwis and Kangaroos clashed in the 2010 Four Nations, there were 44,324 at the ground. That was the second largest crowd the NZRL had seen for a game, behind the 47,363 that watched the 1988 World Cup final, also at Eden Park.

The last time New Zealand hosted the Anzac Test was back in 1998. That year the Kiwis, helped by a couple of Kevin Iro tries, won 22-16 at North Harbour Stadium. But that’s also the last time New Zealand won the annual fixture.

In a move welcomed by the NZRL, players from both teams will benefit from this year’s Test being played as a standalone fixture, with no NRL games scheduled that weekend.

Tickets for the 2012 VB Test Match go on sale through Ticketek (0800 842 538, www.ticketek.co.nz and all agencies,) from Friday, February 3.

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2012 VB Test Match
Friday, April 20 at Eden Park, Auckland
Eden Park
The crowd capacity at Eden Park in April 2012 will be 50,000. (With temporary seating, the ground could handle 60,000 during the 2011 Rugby World Cup).

Rugby league crowds at Eden Park have included:
• 47,363 1988 World Cup Final (NZ vs Aus)
• 44,324 2010 Four Nations (NZ vs Aus)
• 38,412 2011 NRL (Vodafone Warriors vs Parramatta Eels)

Anzac Tests
The last three Anzac Test results have been:
• 2011 20-10 Australia
• 2010 12-8 Australia
• 2009 38-10 Australia

With 11 Anzac Tests played in Australia and just one in New Zealand, since the first game in 1997, the home team has won every match.

On home soil
This is the first Anzac Test in New Zealand since 1998. The Kiwis won then 22-16 at North Harbour Stadium. (NZ: Kevin Iro (2), Sean Hoppe and Terry Hermansson tries. Matthew Ridge 3 goals. AUS: Terry Hill (2) and Steve Renouf tries. Mat Rogers 2 goals. Attendance: 24,620).

The 1998 Anzac Test teams were:

NZ: Matthew Ridge (c), Sean Hoppe, Richard Blackmore, Ruben Wiki, Richard Barnett, Robbie Paul, Stacey Jones, John Lomax, Henry Paul, Quentin Pongia, Jarrod McCracken, Tony Iro, Logan Swann. Interchange: Nigel Vagana, Terry Hermansson, Kevin Iro, Joe Vagana. Coach: Frank Endacott.

AUS: Robbie O’Davis, Wendell Sailor, Terry Hill, Steve Renouf, Mat Rogers, Laurie Dailey (c), Andrew Johns, Rodney Howe, Geoff Toovey, Paul Harragon, Steve Menzies, Brad Thorn, Brad Fittler. Interchange: Darren Lockyer, Nik Kosef, Glenn Lazarus, Dean Pay. Coach: Bob Fulton.

* Current Kiwi coach Stephen Kearney, who was a key player in the second row of the Kiwis at that time, missed the 1998 Anzac Test through suspension.

The Bill Kelly Memorial Trophy
Bill Kelly was born in Westport in 1892. He played rugby league for Wellington, Balmain, NSW, New Zealand and Australia. He later also coached Auckland and New Zealand. Bill died in 1975 and the Bill Kelly Memorial Trophy has been played for between New Zealand and Australia in Anzac Tests since 1997.