Guess who's back, back again? Rugby's back, tell a friend!

After a marathon seven-hour plus Dunedin City Council meeting yesterday, the council agreed to write off $400,000 owed by the Otago Rugby Football Union. An $80,000 debt to Dunedin Venues Management Ltd was also written off. That's right, the Otago Rugby Football Union has been saved, with the Dunedin City Council agreeing to write off a debt of $400,000 and the national union loaning it $500,000. They desperately needed that bailout, but people shouldn't always rely on bailouts otherwise they'll never learn to do anything for themselves. A bailout is good for staving financial ruin but it could cause financial ruin on the other end. In other rugby news, Crusaders first five (or fly-half) Dan Carter will tomorrow mark a major milestone in the journey to bring the Crusaders back home by kicking the first ball over the goal posts at the new Christchurch Stadium, which is nearing completion. The turf is down, seating is in, lights have been tested, and field markings are down. All that's left is for Dan Carter to test the goalposts.