Sport & recreation  |  5 Mar 2020

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Christchurch City Council has agreed to provide a loan to help pay for new floodlights at Hagley Oval to ensure the city can reap the benefits from hosting Women’s World Cup cricket matches in 2021.

Christchurch has been awarded hosting rights for eight matches in the World Cup, including the final, but the hosting rights are contingent on new floodlights being installed at Hagley Oval.

“Canterbury Cricket Trust is working to raise the money needed for the lights and we have agreed today to provide a $1.5 million loan to assist them,’’ says Council Finance and Performance Committee Chair Councillor Andrew Turner.

“The Women’s Cricket World Cup is a major sporting event that will bring significant benefits to our city. Estimates suggest it will add $5 million to the economy and generate 15,000 visitor nights.

“It will also give Christchurch enormous international exposure, which is very important for our tourism industry. The event is expected to reach a global television audience of at least 180 million – seven times larger than the audience that watched the 2019 men’s Rugby World Cup.

“The benefits that the city stands to gain support the decision to provide Canterbury Cricket Trust a $1.5 million loan,’’ Cr Turner says.

The Canterbury Cricket Trust will have four years to repay the loan and will be charged interest to cover the Council’s borrowing costs.

That means the provision of the loan will come at no cost to ratepayers.

The loan is conditional on security arrangements or a guarantee on terms and conditions satisfactory to Council. This condition will require additional sign-off by the Chair and Deputy Chair of the Finance and Performance Committee.