Southland’s All Black star Ethan de Groot has made his thoughts clear on Invercargill City Council’s unanimous decision to stop all current maintenance and safety improvements for next year — for a saving of almost $3 million.
"There's no Southland without Rugby Park," De Groot told 1News.
"It'd be a shame if they let that go to waste.”
While the decision will not affect Southland Stags home games this season, the pause in work will have an impact on the future of the venue.
"It actually came as a complete shock," said Rugby Southland chief executive Steve Mitchell.
"It was against all recent information and recent progress on the building, and we hadn't had a heads up or consultation at all about it."
Invercargill Mayor Nobby Clark declined a request from 1News for an updated interview today. He said he was waiting until after he'd he met with Rugby Southland next week.
It’s understood council members were interested in exploring a new multi-use venue but the withdrawal of maintenance funding left Rugby Park in limbo.
An independent report in 2021 clearly stated Rugby Park was the preferred outdoor venue for Invercargill for the next 25 years.
De Groot echoed the same distaste in the prospect of the Stag’s home ground being changed.
"You can't change the Stag’s home... I want to get Highlanders games down there I want to be playing Super Rugby games down there every couple of years. That's what Southland fans deserve."
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