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Super Rugby Match At Allianz Stadium Will Not Be Relocated Ahead Of A-League Final

Football Federation Australia has been "unsuccessful" in its quest to have the Super Rugby side NSW Waratahs match against the Auckland Blues moved to North Sydney Oval, according to Bossi & Decent of the SYDNEY MORNING HERALD. The Waratahs and FFA confirmed the Saturday game "will not be relocated to North Sydney Oval and will remain at Allianz Stadium." The FFA initiated talks with the Waratahs to "help preserve the state of the playing surface for Sunday's A-League grand final." Discussions were in place to move the rugby match to North Sydney Oval "amid fears" the decider between Sydney FC and Melbourne Victory will be played on a "significantly damaged pitch." In a statement, FFA CEO David Gallop said, "These things are always more complicated than perhaps first envisaged. The fact is our grand final deserves a world-class surface and the traffic on Allianz Stadium makes this a challenge. The standard of the pitch last Saturday night had a noticeably detrimental effect on the play and we implore the [Sydney Cricket Ground] Trust to work hard on minimising the impact of the rugby match to ensure the Hyundai A-League grand final is played on a surface that befits the occasion and the stature of the Grand Final as one of Australia's showpiece sporting events" (SMH, 5/3). In Sydney, Smithies & Payten reported the Waratahs "considered a NSW government request to shift their clash with the Blues to North Sydney Oval." But on Tuesday, the club confirmed it decided to keep the match at Allianz in the interests of its "fans, supporters and other stakeholders." Given the "logistical ramifications," it would have been a "long shot to pull it off on such late notice" and it is understood the club is "privately bemused at having been asked five days out" (DAILY TELEGRAPH, 5/2). Also in Sydney, Ray Gatt reported the "poor state of the Allianz pitch, which has had a lot of sporting traffic and concert activity over the past few months, has been of concern for some time" and was highlighted during Sydney FC's 3-0 semifinal win over Perth Glory last Saturday. FFA "will be hoping there is no rain" between now and Sunday "given rugby's scrums and rucks can tear up the surface more than any other sport." A spokesperson for the SCG Trust said that the A-League grand final would be the fourth held at Allianz and that it would be "the third time it had had to contend with a rugby match being played beforehand" (THE AUSTRALIAN, 5/3).

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