The England coach Martin Johnson inspects earthquake damage on the field at the AMI Stadium in Christchurch. Photograph: Martin Hunter
The first thing you notice in downtown Christchurch is the hush. It is an eery feeling to be standing in the middle of what should be a bustling central square at lunchtime, listening to the sound of Kiwi tumbleweed. A few yards to the left lie the shattered remains of the city's pretty cathedral. Seven months on from the massive earthquake which destroyed much of the central business district, the area still feels booby trapped. "It broke our hearts," says the city's mayor Bob Parker, matter‑of‑factly.
At such moments the Rugby World Cup, which starts when the hosts New Zealand take on Tonga in Auckland on Friday, matters not a jot. One or two clocks still stand idle, having stopped at the precise moment when the country's most destructive quake for 80 years struck on 22 February. It killed 181 people and, so far, has caused 1,200 buildings to be demolished or officially condemned. In normal circumstances England's team manager, Martin Johnson, would have been in town preparing for his side's first pool game against Argentina this weekend. Instead he could only gaze at the liquefaction-scarred surface of the old Lancaster Park and extend his sympathy to those suffering far greater trauma.
Not that rugby has escaped lightly. A ground that once ranked among the world's most evocative sporting arenas is highly unlikely to stage another match. The majority of the stands, including the £30m Deans Stand which was completed barely 18 months ago, have suffered such serious structural damage they are unlikely to be rebuilt. The pitch appears to have played host to hundreds of giant moles; when you walk on the turf, it subsides and dips as if laid on a bed of marshmallows. "It's an iconic rugby stadium and it's sad to see it in this state," said Johnson, sighing, back at a venue he first visited as a newly arrived replacement on the 1993 Lions tour.
Those in charge of clearing up the ravaged city estimate the total rebuilding cost will end up being around £15bn. Around 10,000 residents have already opted to relocate to other parts of New Zealand. Schools are being forced to double up – one set of pupils study from 7.30am until 1pm, the rest from 1.30pm until 6pm – and 6,000 properties have had to be abandoned.
Having been shaken, though, Christchurch is now intent on stirring again. England's admirable show of support – they visited two local schools and a maternity unit at a city hospital – is part of a collective attempt, as Mayor Parker put it, to reassure outsiders "the city is still up and running". It may take up to 15 years to complete its restoration, although the future of AMI Stadium appears bleak whatever happens. An announcement is expected towards the end of next month.
Assuming Lancaster Park's days are indeed numbered, contingency plans have already been formulated. A new multisport venue outside the liquefaction area has been proposed, while the medium-term aim is to erect a temporary stadium to allow the Crusaders to stage home Super 15 games in the city from next February. To help cover the costs, the International Rugby Board has announced a fund-raising initiative – rwcchristchurchappeal.com – to bolster the rugby community in the area. The local tourist board also wants overseas visitors to be aware that the South Island is still a great place to visit. "We've been through a hell of a lot over the last 12 months," the impressive Parker says.
To stand beside the rubble of the fallen cathedral, though, is to appreciate the full extent of the repair job. Since the initial quake on 4 September last year, which had a magnitude of 7.1, the province of Canterbury has experienced 8,000 separate earthquakes, 31 of them of magnitude five or greater.
"It was a no-brainer for us to come up and show our support," said Johnson, who was accompanied by England's Lewis Moody, Shontayne Hape, Lee Mears, Alex Corbisiero and David Wilson. The English contingent were presented with a box of red and black Canterbury socks, a proud symbol of the area's heritage, which are also being sold to raise funds. Putting Christchurch back on its feet, sadly, will take a while longer.
