Christchurch unable to host World Cup
Christchurch was today stripped of its five Rugby World Cup pool matches and two quarter-finals following the earthquake which struck the city last month.
The quake damaged the stadium and England will not discover where they will play September's clashes with Argentina and Georgia until the end of the month.
England team manager Martin Johnson said today: "We feel for the people of Christchurch who are still suffering following the tragic earthquake. We know how keen they were to play a role in the World Cup and we were looking forward to being based there.
"But we accept this is the right decision for the tournament and for New Zealand based on all the expert advice.
"We are working closely with Rugby World Cup Limited to understand the possible options for our pool games and what that means for us in terms of a training base but understand the complexities involved so we are comfortable with a short delay while it is all being worked out.
"Once we are clear on the location of our pool games we will send someone out to recce the new training and match venues and accommodation. For now we are just focused on this weekend's game in Dublin."
