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Operators of the Forsyth Barr Stadium have been forced to cut staffing levels in half as a result of the coronavirus crisis and loss of fixtures from All Blacks and Highlanders.
Dunedin Venues Management Limited, which runs the Forsyth Barr Stadium and other venues in the city, announced Friday that 16 of its 32 full-time employees had to leave, while the rest “agreed to an immediate and indefinite pay cut, one work week. shorter and take a leave period. “
ANTHONY AU-YEUNG / GETTY IMAGES
Sam Whitelock leads the haka before the All Blacks-France event at the Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin in June 2018.
CEO Terry Davis has taken a 20 percent pay cut.
The iconic local Highlanders stadium was due to host the All Blacks v Scotland event on July 18 as part of a doubleheader with the Black Ferns, but the chances of that event continuing as planned are extremely low.
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The stadium has also lost the Highlanders’ games due to the suspension of Super Rugby, and even if a revised version of that competition continues in the coming months, it could initially be played behind closed doors.
“Early government decisions about restrictions on mass gatherings, the need for physical estrangement and the closure of New Zealand’s borders have had an immediate and devastating impact on DVML’s revenue,” it said in a statement.
“The impact on DVML operations was predicted to continue for the foreseeable future and this was confirmed by the amended government restrictions that were announced on Thursday where alert levels 2 and 3 still limit the numbers allowed to attend an event or meeting”.
“For DVML, this creates little or no chance of events being held at their venues for some time.”
Job losses at DVML will be deeply felt in the Highlanders, whose headquarters are located in the stadium, and the loss of rugby games and events also affects the scores of casual employees who work on game day.
The venue also hosted the Elton John concert in February and has become a popular venue for international touring acts.
Forsyth Barr Stadium last hosted an All Blacks test in 2018 against France, and there will be hopes that Scotland’s game can be rescheduled later this year.
TEAUKURA MOETAUA / GETTY IMAGES
Aaron Smith before the Highlanders v Rebels game at Forsyth Barr Stadium in February.
However, in the short term, the head of the New Zealand Rugby Players Association, Rob Nichol, has acknowledged that playing in empty stadiums could be just one of the challenges facing the country’s players.
“They will have the opportunity to contribute, but we know that it may not be ideal when it comes, it will not return to normal,” Nichol told Stuff.
“It will not be just if we are playing in front of empty stadiums, but also many other obligations, collectively and individually around isolation and being sensible and safe and doing everything possible to make sure that Covid-19 does not affect what we put in place” .
