League may hit hallowed turf

Sunday Sport, August 09

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EXCLUSIVE: AUSTRALIAN and New Zealand league officials are expected to meet this week with Eden Park bosses to discuss the possibility of staging a test between the Kangaroos and Kiwis at the hallowed ground next year.

Sunday News has been told NRL marketing boss Paul Kind and director of finance Ed Farish who lend their help to the Australian Rugby League when needed will touch down in Auckland in the next 24 hours.

It's understood they will hold discussions with new NZRL CEO Jim Doyle and will also meet with Eden Park officials while here.

Next year's Four Nations tournament in Australia and New Zealand is high on the agenda and yesterday ARL chairman Colin Love confirmed the prospect of holding a test at Auckland's most prestigious sporting venue was a strong possibility.

"I won't be heading across with the other guys this week," Love told Sunday News. "I do know all about that (the meeting with Eden Park officials) though. They (Kind and Farish) will be looking at a lot of different commercial aspects and the possibility of playing a match at Eden Park if it's on the right terms well, it's a prestigious stadium and if everything falls into place it might be possible to make that happen."

NZRL CEO Doyle said talks with Eden Park were on the cards.

"We will be at that meeting too," Doyle told Sunday News yesterday.

"We (the NZRL) will be meeting all day on Monday and Tuesday with Ed Farish and Paul Kind and for me, this is my first week in the job and it will be my first meeting with them.

"A big part of it will obviously be how the NRL, NZRL and ARL can work more closely together.

"Certainly a big part of the trip is around next year's Four Nations and that's why there will be some discussions with Eden Park in respect to potentially having some of the tournament's games there.

"It's still in very early stages but our understanding is that the Eden Park Trust Board are looking at how they can utilise the venue and a big part of it will be about when the venue will be readily available.

"One of the things we want to do is increase the profile of the game and that's potentially one option for us."

If all goes to plan, next year's test at Eden Park would be the first league international at the ground since the 1988 World Cup final.

- © Fairfax NZ News